Comparison of ‘又’ and ‘再’

Usage:

In Mandarin Chinese, ‘又’ (yòu) and ‘再’ (zài) are adverbs often used to express repetition of actions, but they have different nuances and are used in different contexts.

‘又’ (yòu):

‘又’ is used to indicate that an action has occurred again, usually in the past. It emphasizes the recurrence of an action.

• Example: 他又迟到了。(Tā yòu chídào le.) - He was late again.
• Example: 昨天又下雨了。(Zuótiān yòu xià yǔ le.) - It rained again yesterday.

‘再’ (zài):

‘再’ is used to indicate that an action will occur again in the future or is being repeated in the present. It emphasizes the continuation or repetition of an action.

• Example: 请再说一遍。(Qǐng zài shuō yī biàn.) - Please say it again.
• Example: 我们明天再去。(Wǒmen míngtiān zài qù.) - We'll go again tomorrow.

Examples:

• 他昨天又吃了汉堡包。(Tā zuótiān yòu chī le hànbǎobāo.) - He ate a hamburger again yesterday.
• 老师让我们再做一次。(Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen zài zuò yīcì.) - The teacher asked us to do it again.

Additional Notes:

• ‘又’ is typically used with actions that have already occurred, whereas ‘再’ is used for actions that will occur or are expected to occur.
• Understanding the distinction between these two adverbs is important for expressing time and recurrence accurately in Mandarin Chinese.