Meanings of 還
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Podcast: 還
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AI Study Notes for 還
还 (hái) vs 仍 (réng) — use 還 (hái) for 'also' or 'besides', while 仍 (réng) emphasizes 'still' in a more formal context.
Learners often confuse 還 with 还 (huán), which means 'to return' and has a different tone. It is commonly used in both formal and informal speech, so understanding the context is important. Common collocations include 還可以 (hái kěyǐ – 'can also') and 還要 (hái yào – 'still want').
Although 還 is not assigned a specific HSK level, it is commonly encountered in daily conversations. Students should focus on its multifunctionality, as it connects with other basic words and phrases that indicate addition or continuity, enhancing fluency.
A common mistake is using 還 with the wrong tone, leading to confusion with 还 (huán). For example, saying '我還书' (wǒ hái shū) instead of '我还书' (wǒ huán shū) changes the meaning from 'I still have a book' to 'I return a book'.
Pronunciation of 還
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Etymology of 還
Simplified form of 還.
Decomposition of 還
Parts
Which of these is part of 還?
How to say also, besides; still, yet; to return in Chinese
“also, besides; still, yet; to return” in Chinese is還
The character 還 (hái) primarily means 'also' or 'besides', indicating addition or inclusion. It can also mean 'still' or 'yet', conveying continuity or persistence. Additionally, it is used in the context of returning something, making it versatile in various conversational scenarios.
When to use 還
Learners often confuse 還 with 还 (huán), which means 'to return' and has a different tone. It is commonly used in both formal and informal speech, so understanding the context is important. Common collocations include 還可以 (hái kěyǐ – 'can also') and 還要 (hái yào – 'still want').
還 or something close to it
还 (hái) vs 仍 (réng) — use 還 (hái) for 'also' or 'besides', while 仍 (réng) emphasizes 'still' in a more formal context.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is using 還 with the wrong tone, leading to confusion with 还 (huán). For example, saying '我還书' (wǒ hái shū) instead of '我还书' (wǒ huán shū) changes the meaning from 'I still have a book' to 'I return a book'.
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Word Family of 還
Characters with 還
What does 还 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 還
You can use 還 to indicate addition, for example, '我還有很多事要做' (I still have many things to do).
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