adv.
Doing something for a second time; a repeated action or occurrence. Again, once more, then, or still (e.g., "再试一次", "再见")—often marking a future or continued action.
再
Common Usage & Traps
- 再见 — goodbye
- 再来一瓶 — one more bottle, please
- 再试一次 — give it one more try
- 先吃饭再走 — eat first, then leave
- 再也不喝酒了 — never drinking again
- 再便宜点 — a little cheaper, please
-
我昨天再去了我昨天又去了再 never reports a finished repeat. Once the thing is already in the past, 又 takes over.
-
我明天又去我明天再去又 hints that it already happened and usually annoyed you. For a plan you are choosing, use 再.
-
我再不去了我再也不去了The fixed 'never again' chunk is 再也不, with 也 baked in. Drop it and the sentence sounds chopped off.
English has one word 'again' — so why does tomorrow want 再 while yesterday wants 又?
再 points forward, 又 points back. Tomorrow is 再, yesterday is 又.
再 is the word for a repeat you are choosing or planning: 我明天再去, 我再问你一次. 又 is the word for a repeat that already happened, often with a whiff of 'ugh, this again': 他昨天又迟到了. So the time word is your tell. If the action is done, reach for 又; if it is next or you are deciding to do it one more time, reach for 再. For a dramatic vow of never again, Chinese locks in 再也不 plus a final 了: 我再也不喝酒了.
“宝宝，宝宝，我再问你
妈妈的爸爸叫什么？” (Sweetie, sweetie, let me ask you again — what do you call Mommy's daddy?)
“宝宝，宝宝，我再问你
妈妈的爸爸叫什么？” (Sweetie, sweetie, let me ask you again — what do you call Mommy's daddy?)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tomorrow, doing it again | 我明天再去。 | 我明天又去。 |
| Yesterday, it happened again | 我昨天又去了。 | 我昨天再去了。 |
| Same question one more time | 我再问你一次。 | 我再一次问你。 |
| Never again | 我再也不去了。 | 我再不去了。 |
Can 再 mean something other than 'again'?
Yes. 先 X 再 Y just means 'X first, then Y' — nothing is repeated.
先吃饭，再走 means eat first, then leave. Nobody is eating twice here; 再 is simply the hinge between step one and step two. 然后 can link steps too, but it sits heavier and further from the verb: 先吃饭，然后再走 is fine, just wordier. Keep 再 glued right before the second verb and you will sound like a native making plans.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Eat first, then leave | 先吃饭，再走。 | 先吃饭，又走。 |
| Check, then reply on WeChat | 我先看一下，再回你。 | 我先看一下，又回你。 |
Why do people haggling shout 再便宜点 instead of 更便宜点?
更 compares two things; 再 pushes the same thing one notch further.
更 is for comparison: 这件比那件更便宜 means this one is cheaper than that one. 再 compares nothing. It nudges the same item one step further along the line, which is why it is the haggling word. 再便宜点吧 means 'come on, a little cheaper' about the exact shirt in your hand. Use 再 for these gentle requests: 再大一点, 再多一点, 再来一瓶. With 比 in the sentence, switch to 更.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing two shirts | 这件比那件更便宜。 | 这件比那件再便宜。 |
| Haggling over one shirt | 再便宜点吧。 | 更便宜点吧。 |
| Same shirt, a bit bigger | 这件再大一点行吗？ | 这件更大一点行吗？ |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
-
我想 再 去买点儿吃的东西“。
-
昨天你找我要五块钱，今天你 再 要五块钱，明天是不是还要 再 要五块钱。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
-
可直到散席，那碗汤也没 再 碰过。
-
他说：“货款拖了四个月了， 再 不给，这周我就停了你的货！”
Think instant noodles are unhealthy? This HSK 6 article challenges common myths and reveals surprising facts about nutrition, oil, and salt in this convenient food.
-
在吃方便面时也可以 再 多加一些蔬菜、水果什么的，让它营养更多。
Join a beginner as they ask a Chinese friend to teach them how to cook. This simple HSK 1 dialogue shows that learning one dish at a time is the best way to start.
-
小米说，我 再 问你一个问题，你现在会做什么菜呢？
Before you read, meet the grandparents! This rhyming chant helps you practice the different names for maternal and paternal grandparents in Chinese. Listen to the beat and repeat.
-
宝宝，宝宝，我 再 问你妈妈的爸爸叫什么？
This playful rhyme helps you learn family words in Chinese. Practice saying who's who with simple questions and answers!
-
小朋友，我 再 问你，这个女孩子，她是谁？
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!