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B1 Advanced Aspects & Time

How to Say “Again” (in the Future) with 再 (zài)

再 (zài) is “again” for things that haven’t happened yet — Subject + 再 + Verb Phrase: 我下次再来 (“I’ll come again”). It also means “another / some more” (再来一杯咖啡, “another coffee”) and “keep doing / a bit longer” (再想想, “keep thinking”). For “again” in the past, you need 又 instead.

Why this trips learners up

再 (zài) means “again” for the future — something will happen another time. The pattern is Subject + 再 + Verb Phrase: 我下次再来 (“I’ll come again next time”), 这部电影我想再看一次 (“I want to watch this movie again”). You already say it every day — 再见 is literally “see (you) again.” The key is that it’s planned / not yet done, so it takes no 了.

That’s the big split: 再 = future “again,” 又 = past “again.” 我明天再来 (“I’ll come again tomorrow”) vs 他昨天又来了 (“he came again yesterday”). If it has already happened, you can’t use 再 — that’s the job of 又…了 on its own page.

再 has two more everyday uses. “Another / some more”: 再 + Verb + a quantity neatly replaces the word “another” — 再来一杯咖啡 (“another coffee”), 再给我一个 (“give me one more”). And “keep doing / a bit longer”: 再 + a doubled verb, or 再 + Verb + 一会儿 — 再想想 (“keep thinking”), 再坐一会儿 (“stay a little longer”). (Use the doubled verb or 一会儿, not both.)

One placement rule: 再 sits right before the verb, not before the quantity. It’s 我想再喝一杯 (“I’ll have one more drink”), not 我想喝再一杯.

The structure

Subject 再 zài Verb
Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Time Function word Measure word Other

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

wǒ 我 Subject xiàcì 下次 Time zài 再 Pattern lái 来 Verb

I’ll come again next time (再 = future “again”).

lǎobǎn 老板 Other zài 再 Pattern lái 来 Verb yì bēi 一杯 Measure word kāfēi 咖啡 Object

Boss, another cup of coffee (再 = “another” + a quantity).

zhè bù diànyǐng 这部电影 Object wǒ 我 Subject xiǎng 想 Function word zài 再 Pattern kàn 看 Verb yí cì 一次 Measure word

I want to watch this movie again (再 + a count).

bié zǒu 别走 Verb zài 再 Pattern zuò 坐 Verb yíhuìr 一会儿 Time

Don’t go — stay a little longer (再 + Verb + 一会儿).

wǒ 我 Subject zài 再 Pattern yào 要 Verb yí ge 一个 Measure word kěyǐ ma 可以吗 Verb

Could I have one more? (再 = “another / one more”).

nǐ 你 Subject zài 再 Pattern xiǎngxiang 想想 Verb bié zhāojí huídá 别着急回答 Verb

Think it over some more — don’t rush to answer (再 + doubled verb, “keep …ing”).

yǒu wèntí de huà 有问题的话 Other huānyíng 欢迎 Verb zài 再 Pattern lái wèn wǒ 来问我 Verb

If you have questions, feel free to come ask me again (再 = future “again”).

zhè jiàn shì 这件事 Object wǒmen 我们 Subject gǎitiān 改天 Time zài 再 Pattern liáo 聊 Verb jīntiān tài wǎn le 今天太晚了 Verb

Let’s talk about this another day — it’s too late today (再 = “later / again”).

Common mistakes

Avoid: 昨天再下雨了。 zuótiān zài xià yǔ le.
Say this: 昨天又下雨了。 zuótiān yòu xià yǔ le.

Why it happens: 再 is “again” for the FUTURE. For something that already happened again, use 又…了: 昨天又下雨了 (“it rained again yesterday”), not 昨天再下雨了.

Avoid: 我明天再来了。 wǒ míngtiān zài lái le.
Say this: 我明天再来。 wǒ míngtiān zài lái.

Why it happens: Future-again 再 hasn’t happened yet, so it takes no 了: 我明天再来 (“I’ll come again tomorrow”), not 我明天再来了.

Avoid: 我想喝再一杯。 wǒ xiǎng hē zài yì bēi.
Say this: 我想再喝一杯。 wǒ xiǎng zài hē yì bēi.

Why it happens: 再 goes right before the verb, not before the quantity: 我想再喝一杯 (“one more drink”), not 我想喝再一杯.

Compare & contrast

再 — “again” in the FUTURE (not yet, no 了)又 — “again” in the PAST (already happened, +了)The difference
你明天再来nǐ míngtiān zài lái你昨天又来了nǐ zuótiān yòu lái le你明天再来 = “come again tomorrow” (planned — 再, no 了). 你昨天又来了 = “you came again yesterday” (done — 又…了).
我想再试一次wǒ xiǎng zài shì yí cì他又试了一次tā yòu shì le yí cì我想再试一次 = “I want to try again” (future intent). 他又试了一次 = “he tried again” (already happened).
Rule of thumbHasn’t happened yet? Use 再 (no 了): 再来, 再说, 再试一次. Already happened? Use 又…了: 又来了, 又说了. 再 = future “again” (also “another / some more”), 又 = past “again.”

Try it yourself

Say “Try (it) again.” — (Subject +) 再 + verb + count.

Related patterns

又…了How to Say “Again” (in the Past) with 又 (yòu)

The other half of“again”: 再 is the future one (planned, no 了), 又…了 is the past one (already happened). Same English word, opposite tense.

 还在How to Say “Still” with 还 (hái)

Keep these apart: 还 = “still” (the same action continuing), 再 = “again” (a fresh repetition, usually later). 还在说 vs 再说一遍.

 看看Verb Reduplication: Why Chinese Repeats Verbs (看看, 试试)

The “keep doing” 再 often takes a doubled verb — 再想想, 再找找 — the same reduplication that softens an action.

 一下Verbing Briefly: How to Use 一下 (yīxià)

再 + 一下 / 一次 = “(do it) one more time”: 再试一下, 再看一次 — the future-again 再 plus a brief-action count.

 个Chinese Measure Words: The Common Ones and How They Work

The “another / some more” 再 needs a measure word for the quantity: 再来一杯, 再要一个 — 再 + Verb + Number + Measure.

 次Verb Measure Words: Counting Times with 次 / 遍 / 下

再 sets up a repeat and a verb measure counts it: 再说一遍 (“say it once more, through”), 再来一次 (“one more time”). 遍 for a full run, 次 for an occasion.

 先…再…How to Sequence with 先 and 再 (xiān … zài …)

The same 再 in its “then” sense: 先…再… sequences two actions (先洗手再吃, “then eat”), where this page’s 再 means “again” (再吃一个).

 另外How to Say “Besides” with 另外 (lìngwài)

Both can mean “more,” but differently: 另外 + Verb gets you another, a different one (另外找一个); 再 + Verb repeats the same action (再找一次).

 再也不How to Say “Never Again” with 再也不 (zài yě bù)

The determined negative of 再. Add 也 + 不/没 and future “again” flips to “never again”: 再来 (“come again”) becomes 再也不来了 (“never coming again”). 再 opens the door to a repeat; 再也不 slams it shut.

 再三How to Say “Repeatedly / Over and Over” with 再三 (zàisān)

再 scaled up to “over and over.” Doubled with 三 as 再三 (“again and thrice”), 再 becomes the formal “repeatedly / time and again” (老师再三强调). Same 再, from one more time to many earnest ones.

 再不……就How to Say “Act Now or Else” with 再不……就…… (zàibù... jiù...)

The same 再, in a warning. On its own 再 means “again / any longer” (再来一次); in 再不……就…… it means “if you still don't … (for any longer), then …” (你再不走就迟到了). One repeats an action; the other sets a deadline.
Quick reference card
Merry Mandarin How to Say “Again” (in the Future) with 再 (zài) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure
Subject + 再 + Verb
Example
我下次再来
I’ll come again next time (再 = future “again”).
Watch out
✗ 昨天再下雨了。  →  ✓ 昨天又下雨了。