When your friend shows up late for the third time, you want to groan "not again!" In Mandarin, that feeling lives in one word: 又 (yòu). It goes before a verb to say someone repeated an action — and it usually carries a hint of frustration.
The structure is simple: place 又 before the verb and 了 after it. The classic example is 他又迟到了 (tā yòu chídào le) — "He was late again." Another one: 你又忘了 (nǐ yòu wàng le) — "You forgot again." Both sentences describe something that already happened — 又 here is about the past, not a future intention.
If you want to say you'll do something again in the future, that's a different word. Our HSK 2 live lesson on 再 (zài) — Doing Something Again (Future) covers that counterpart.
This is a live voice conversation with AI teacher Mei Lin — you talk, she responds in real time, and she corrects your grammar and pronunciation as you go. The lesson focuses on this one pattern and takes about 10 minutes. You'll practice saying things like "he was late again" and "you forgot again" until the structure feels natural. Mei Lin adapts to your level, so whether you're shaky on tones or just need repetition, she meets you where you are.
You can explore more HSK 2 lessons to build on what you learn here. To reinforce the characters from this lesson, try the free printable Chinese worksheet generator — ready-made packs cover HSK 1–3 vocabulary.
For another useful complaint pattern, check out the HSK 2 live lesson on 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) — "Not Again!" and "Mild Complaints" go hand in hand. The first lesson is free, so you can start talking right away.
又 (yòu) means something happened again, usually in the past. It goes before a verb with 了 after it, as in 他又迟到了 (tā yòu chídào le) — "He was late again." The tone often implies mild frustration, like "ugh, not again!"
又 (yòu) describes something that already happened again, while 再 (zài) is for doing something again in the future. In this "Not Again!" lesson you practice the past form. For the future form, see our lesson on 再 (zài) — Doing Something Again (Future).
You'll talk out loud with Mei Lin about situations where someone repeats an action — a friend being late again or forgetting something for the second time. The lesson targets the pattern Subject + 又 + Verb + 了 and takes about 10 minutes. Mei Lin corrects your pronunciation and grammar as you converse.
Yes — the first lesson is free and no credit card is required to start talking. You'll have a live voice conversation with Mei Lin focused on 又 (yòu) — Doing Something Again (Past). You can also print handwriting worksheets with the free Chinese Worksheet Generator to reinforce the characters.