Expressing "again" in the future with "zai"

Revision as of 09:10, 5 June 2013 by Simingjie (talk | contribs)

While 又 (yòu) is used for "again" in the past, 再 (zài) is used for "again" in the future. That is, 再 is used when something has happened once and it will happen again.

再 as "again"

The basic structure for using the future "again" is:

Subject + 再 + Verb + Object

Some examples:

  • 说 一次 吧。Say it again one more time.
  • 你 不 要 迟到。Don't be late again.
  • 我 下 次 来。I'll come again next time.

再 as "and then"

A usage that feels sort of related but deserves separate mention is the use of 再 to mean "and then." It is often preceded by 先 when giving clear sequential orders ("first do this... then do this..."), but it can also appear by itself to mean "and then."

The examples:

  • 我们 吃饭 谈。We'll eat first, and then we'll talk.
  • 找 工作 考虑 买 房子。First find a job, then you can think about buying a house.
  • 我们 吃 了 饭 去。We ate first, then we went.

再 as "another" or "some more"

The English word "another" is often avoided altogether by using 再.

Examples:

  • 给 我 一 张 纸。Give me another piece of paper.
  • 我们 找 一 个 人 吧。Let's find another person.
  • 她 想 做 一 个 新 的 作品。She wants to do a new kind of work.

Examples:

  • 给 我 一点 钱。Give me a little more money.
  • 我们 给 她 点 时间 。We'll give her a little more time.
  • 她 想 吃 点 冰淇淋 。She wants to eat a little more ice cream.

再 as "continuous action"

Here 再 is similar to the English "for a while longer" or "keep [going/doing]".

Examples:

  • 时间 还 早,你们 玩 一会儿 吧。It's still early, you can keep playing for a while.
  • 找 找,找 不 到 我们 就 回去。Look a little more. If we can't find it, we'll go home.
  • 我 想 睡 会儿,太 困 了。I want to sleep a little longer. I'm so tired.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books