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Chinese grammar differences between you4 and zai4 – How to say ” Stealing is bad. Don’t ever do that again.” Tou1 qie4 hen3 bu4 hao3, bu4 zhun3 zai4 zuo4 na4 jian4 shi4 le5. 偷窃很不好，不准再做那件事了。Tou1 qie4 （偷窃 Originally, tou1 and qie4 both are verbs mean to steal. However, put them together they become compound phrase which functions as a noun phrase means stealing) hen3 (很 adverb, very, really) bu4 (不 negation, not) hao3 (好 adjective, good), bu4 (不 negation, don’t) zhun3 (准 verb, allow) zai4 (再 adverb, again) zuo4 (做 verb, do) na4 (pronoun, that) jian4 (measure word for thing) shi4 (noun, matter or thing) le5 (le5 here has two functions: first, it is used in the **** bu4 verb…… le5 **** structure to emphasize the speaker’s point of view; second, it is used as the sentence final particle showing the completion of sentence).
For the meaning “again”, you can use either 再 zai4 or 又 you4, depend on the context of the conversation. Let’s learn about the usages of you4 and zai4 and their differences.
又 you4 and 再 zai4 both can mean again and repetition, and the differences are:
The usage of 再 zai4
Zai4 再 is used for anticipated repetition which will be happening in the future only.
Zai4 needs to be put before the verb. In English we say ” try again”,the again is placed after the verb; in Chinese, we say 再试 zai4 shi4 (again try).
Yesterday I went to dance; tomorrow I will go dancing again.
昨天我去跳舞；明天我会＊＊再＊＊去跳舞。
zuo2 tian1, wo3 qu4 tiao4 wu3; ming2 tian1 wo3 hui4 ＊＊ zai4＊＊ qu4 tiao4 wu3.
After a short while, I would like to go to library again.
Guo4 yi4 hui3 er5, wo3 xiang3 ＊＊zai4＊＊ qu4 tu2 shu1 guan3.
过一会儿，我想＊＊再＊＊去图书馆。
Please say it again for one more time.
Qing3 ni3 ***zai4*** shuo1 yi1 ci4.
请你***再***说一次。
The usage of 又 you4
You4 can be used in past tense, present tense and sometimes future tense to mean “again.” It also has to be placed in front of the verb it modifies.
又 You4 in past tense:
Just a short moment ago I ate another bowl of rice again.
Wo3 gang1 cai2 ***you4*** chi1 le5 yi4 wan3 fan4 le5.
我刚才***又***吃了一碗饭了。
She went to restroom again.
Ta1 ***you4*** qu4 shang4 ce4 suo3 le5.
她***又***去上厕所了。
又 You4 can be used in present tense to mean “again.” It also has to be placed in front of the verb it modifies.
She was not happy yesterday; she is not happy today again.
ta1 zuo2 tian2 bu4 kuai4 le4, ta1 jin1 tian1 ***you4*** bu2 kuai4 le4.
她昨天不快乐， 她今天＊＊＊又＊＊＊不快乐。
Fifty minutes ago she was hungry; now she is hungry again.
Wu3 shi2 fen1 zhong1 qian2, ta1 hen3 e4; xian4 zai4 ta1 ***you4*** e4 le5.
五十分钟前，她很饿；现在她＊＊＊又＊＊＊饿了。
又 You4 can be used in future tense to mean “again”. In the future tense usage, usually it is the speaker predicts that something is going to happen exactly like what happened before again. The future usage of you4, must follow by 会 hui4 to form *** 又会 you4 hui4 (will … again) structure *** to indicate the situation will happen again as predicted.
Three hours ago, she cried, and she cried again one hour ago too. I think she will cry again after a short while (pretty soon).
ta san1 ge5 xiao3 shi2 qian2 ku1, yi2 ge4 xiao3 shi2 qian2 you4 ku1 le. Wo3 xiang3 ta1 deng3 yi2 xia4 ***you4 hui4*** ku1 le5.
她三个小时前哭，一个小时前又哭了。我想她等一下***又会***哭了。
Double 又 you4 to mean both A and B
You4 can be used to mean — Both A and B. When you4 is used in this way, A and B need to be either both in positive or both in negative meaning.
He is both smart and handsome.
他＊＊＊又＊＊＊聪明＊＊＊又＊＊＊帅。
Ta1 ***you4*** cong1 ming2 ***you4*** shuai4.
He is both lazy and silly.
他＊＊＊又＊＊＊懒＊＊＊又＊＊＊傻。
Ta1 ***you4*** lan3 ***you4*** sha3.
What should you use if you want to mention one positive and one negative characteristics of a thing or a person? You can use ke3 shi4 between two different adjectives or modifiers. For example,
He is very smart, but he is very lazy.
他很聪明，可是他很懒。
Ta1 hen3 cong1 ming2, ***ke3 shi4*** ta1 hen3 lan3.
He is handsome, but he is not smart.
他帅可是他不聪明。
ta1 shuai4 ***ke3 shi4*** ta1 bu4 cong1 ming2.
After reading so many usages of you4 and zai4, you must feel you4 lei4 you4 fan2 ***又***累***又***烦 （both tired and troubled) and murmur “Wo3 bu2 ***zai4*** xue2 zhong1 wen2 le5?” 我不再学中文了？ (I am not going to learn Chinese ***again***?)
The purpose of saying this is not to encourage you to quit your Chinese learning, but to tell you that when you want to negate zai (to mean ***not again***), you just need to put 不 bu4 in front of 再 zai4.
For example, now is the time for me to say:
Shuo1 le5 zhe4 me5 duo1, wo3 bu2 zai4 shuo1 le5.
说了这么多，我不再说了。
Have said so much, I am not going to say again.
How about let’s listen to a song instead?
This is a very easy song to pick, very classic and everlasting ….. Sang by the best female Chinese singer of all time.
何日君再来 he2 ri4 jun1 zai4 lai2 When will you come again
by Teresa Teng (Deng lijun)
For pinyin, lyrics, and English translation, see http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=824
