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Level Foundations · HSK 1

先, 再, 还 and 最后: First, Then, Again and Still

These little adverbs do a lot of work in everyday Chinese: giving instructions, making plans, ordering food. Like all adverbs they go before the verb, after the subject.

The one to watch is 再: it means "again" or "then", but only about things that haven't happened yet.

先…再…: first ..., then ...

先 (xiān) marks what happens first; 再 (zài) marks what comes after it. This pair is for plans, suggestions and instructions. 最后 (zuìhòu) means "finally, in the end".

  • 我们先吃饭，再看电影。

    Wǒmen xiān chī fàn, zài kàn diànyǐng.

    Let's eat first, then watch a film.

  • 你先走吧。

    Nǐ xiān zǒu ba.

    You go ahead (first).

  • 最后我们回家了。

    Zuìhòu wǒmen huí jiā le.

    In the end we went home.

再: again (in the future)

再 + verb means "again" or "some more" about an action still to come. That's why goodbye is 再见, "see again".

  • 请再说一次。

    Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.

    Please say it again.

  • 明天再来。

    Míngtiān zài lái.

    Come back tomorrow.

  • 再喝一杯吧。

    Zài hē yì bēi ba.

    Have another cup.

还: still, also

还 (hái) means "still" (他还在学校, he's still at school) or "also, in addition" when you add to a list: 我要一杯茶，还要一个包子. 还有 opens an extra point: "and also ...".

  • 他还在学校。

    Tā hái zài xuéxiào.

    He's still at school.

  • 我要一杯茶，还要一个包子。

    Wǒ yào yì bēi chá, hái yào yí ge bāozi.

    I'd like a cup of tea, and a steamed bun as well.

马上 and 一会儿

马上 (mǎshàng) + verb means right away. 一会儿 (yíhuìr) is "a moment": before the verb it means "in a moment", after it "for a moment".

  • 我马上来。

    Wǒ mǎshàng lái.

    I'm coming right now.

  • 请等一会儿。

    Qǐng děng yíhuìr.

    Please wait a moment.

  • 我一会儿去。

    Wǒ yíhuìr qù.

    I'll go in a moment.

Common mistakes

  • ✗请说再一次。

    ✓请再说一次。

    Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.

    再 is an adverb, so it goes before the verb.

  • ✗我们先吃饭，然后再看电影了。

    ✓我们先吃饭，再看电影。

    Wǒmen xiān chī fàn, zài kàn diànyǐng.

    先…再… is for plans, so there's nothing completed and no 了 at the end.

  • ✗我要一杯茶，和一个包子。

    ✓我要一杯茶，还要一个包子。

    Wǒ yào yì bēi chá, hái yào yí ge bāozi.

    To add a second thing after a comma, use 还 + verb. 和 only joins two nouns directly: 一杯茶和一个包子.

Questions learners ask

What about "again" for something that already happened?

That's 又 (yòu): 他又来了 (he came again). 再 looks forward, 又 looks back. The two are compared in the B1 guide on 又 and 再.

Is 再 in 再见 the same word?

Yes. 再见 is literally "again see": see you again.

Practice this in lessons

The Foundations lessons teach this step by step, with exercises and review built in.

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