Meaning of 又
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (once) again
- also
- both... and...
- and yet
- (used for emphasis) anyway
How to use 又
又 usually marks something that already happened again, or adds a second quality in the pattern 又…又… (both… and…). Example: 他又迟到了。(Tā yòu chídào le.) He was late again. You also see it in 又名 (yòumíng), meaning "also known as".
又 (yòu) looks like a right hand reaching out, and a hand is something you use again and again. Picture the same hand coming back one more time to remember "again".
Common mistake: Learners often use 又 for future repetition, but 又 is mainly for repetition that has already happened, while 再 (zài) is for something that will happen again: 明天再来 (míngtiān zài lái), not 明天又来, in most cases. Also do not confuse the shape with 叉 (chā, fork), which has an extra dot inside.
又 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
又 yòu · again · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 又.
| 又名 | yòumíng | also known as; alternative name |
Questions about 又
What does 又 mean?
又 (yòu) means "(once) again; also" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 又?
又 is made of 1 character: 又 (2 strokes). That is 2 strokes in total.
Is 又 an HSK word?
Yes. 又 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 又…又… mean?
It means "both… and…" and links two adjectives or verbs, such as 又便宜又好 (yòu piányi yòu hǎo), cheap and good. The two parts usually share the same positive or negative tone.
How is 又 used for emphasis?
In negative or rhetorical sentences 又 adds a sense of "anyway" or "after all", as in 我又不是你妈妈 (wǒ yòu bú shì nǐ māma), I'm not your mom, after all. It often sounds like a mild complaint or protest.