Meaning of 还
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- still
- still in progress
- still more
- yet
- even more
- in addition
- fairly
- passably (good)
- to pay back
- to return
- surname Huan
How to use 还
As hái, 还 is one of the most common adverbs, meaning still, also, or even more, and it goes before the verb or adjective. As huán, it is a verb meaning to give back or pay back. Example: 我还没吃饭。(Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.) I still haven't eaten.
还 has the walking radical 辶 at the bottom left, a sign of movement. Picture yourself walking back to return (huán) something, and you are still (hái) on the road.
Common mistake: Learners often read 还 as hái in every case and say hái shū for 还书 (huán shū, to return a book). If 还 is the main verb meaning give back, it is huán. Also do not confuse it with 不 (bù) on the right side when writing quickly. The inside is 不, not 木.
还 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.
还 hái · still · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 还.
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition |
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better |
| 偿还 | chánghuán | to repay; to reimburse |
| 归还 | guīhuán | to return sth; to revert |
| 讨价还价 | tǎojià-huánjià | to haggle over price; to bargain |
| 还原 | huányuán | to restore to the original state; to reconstruct (an event) |
| 返还 | fǎnhuán | restitution; return of something to its original owner |
| 还款 | huán kuǎn | repayment; to pay back money |
| 还好 | háihǎo | not bad; pretty good; fortunately; luckily |
| 还给 | huángěi | to return sth to sb |
| 还清 | huánqīng | to pay back in full; to redeem a debt |
| 生还者 | shēnghuánzhě | survivor |
Questions about 还
What does 还 mean?
还 (hái) means "still; still in progress" and is used as a adverb and verb.
How do you write 还?
还 is made of 1 character: 还 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 还 an HSK word?
Yes. 还 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 还 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 还 is written 還.
What is the difference between 还 (hái) and 也 (yě)?
也 means also and links you to someone else, as in 我也去 (wǒ yě qù), I am going too. 还 adds one more thing to a list or shows something continues, as in 我还要咖啡 (wǒ hái yào kāfēi), I also want coffee. 还 often means in addition or still, not same as someone else.
How do I use 还是 in questions?
In a question, 还是 (háishi) means or, used for choosing between options. For example, 你喝茶还是咖啡？(Nǐ hē chá háishi kāfēi?) Do you drink tea or coffee? In statements, use 或者 (huòzhě) for or instead.