Expressing "again" in the past with "you"

Whenever you want to express something like "you did it again!" in Chinese, you may want to use 又（yòu）.

又 indicates repeated action

Structure

Normally, “又” is used to express an action that has happened again for the second time.

又 + Verb

Examples

• 我们 又 学 了 一 遍。We learned it again.
• 又 做 错 了 ！I did it wrong again!
• 宝宝 又 哭 了。The baby is crying again.

又 indicates an action is about to occur

Structure

如果要表示一种动作或现象有规律地重复出现，也需要用“又”，而且通常跟“要”、“可以”、“是”、“该”、“能”、“会”等词，而且句尾通常有语气词“了”出现。这种用法一般用于说话者基于以往的事实规律做出的推断。

又 + 要/该/是/可以 + Verb/Noun

Examples

• 又过年了，我们又长了一岁。
• 明天又是星期一！
• 老板又要找我开会了。
• 这个周末又可以不加班了。
• 又该我请客了？
• 如果你告诉妈妈，妈妈又会生气了。

又 indicates 动作多次重复出现

Structure

"又"不但可以表示动作重复出现，还可以表示动作反复出现多次。

Verb + 了 + 又 + Verb

Examples

• 宝宝出生了，妈妈看了又看，高兴得不得了。
• 这个词我记了又记，还是记不住。
• 这个方案改了又改，终于通过了。
• 我想了又想，还是不能这样做。

See also

• Again in the past with "you"
• Emphasizing negation with "you"
• Comparing "zai" and "you"
• "Both A and B" with "you"
• "Both… and…" with "ji...you"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 633) →buy
• 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 588)→buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 1656) →buy