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还 (hái) in Chinese — Still & Not Yet

If you're at HSK 2 and want to tell a friend you're still waiting or that someone hasn't arrived yet, this live lesson shows you how. 还 (hái) is a small but versatile word that goes right before a verb to express that something is still happening — or, paired with 没, that it hasn't happened yet.

How 还 (hái) Works

The structure is simple: Subject + 还 + Verb/Adjective. To say something is still happening, place 还 before the verb. For example, 我还在睡觉 (wǒ hái zài shuìjiào) means "I am still sleeping." To say something hasn't happened yet, use 还没 before the verb: 他还没来 (tā hái méi lái) — "He hasn't come yet." The key rule is that 还 always goes right before the verb, never after it.

What You Practice in This Live Lesson

In this roughly 10-minute live conversation lesson, you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin. She asks you questions that prompt you to use 还 and 还没 in natural sentences — like describing whether you're still working, still eating, or whether a friend has arrived. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. You can try the first lesson free.

To keep building HSK 2 grammar, explore more HSK 2 lessons or try another HSK 2 live lesson on 就 (jiù) and a lesson on expressing probability with 可能 (kěnéng). You can also print handwriting worksheets with the free Chinese Worksheet Generator to practice characters from HSK 1–3.

Frequently asked questions

What does 还 (hái) mean in Chinese?

还 (hái) means "still" or "continuing." You place it before a verb to show that an action is ongoing, as in 我还在睡觉 (wǒ hái zài shuìjiào) — "I am still sleeping." Combined with 没, it expresses "not yet," as in 他还没来 (tā hái méi lái) — "He hasn't come yet." This lesson, titled Still & Not Yet, covers both uses.

Where does 还 go in a Chinese sentence?

还 (hái) always goes right before the verb or adjective. The structure is Subject + 还 + Verb/Adjective. For "not yet," use 还没 before the verb. You never place 还 after the verb — that's the key rule you'll practice with Mei Lin in this live conversation.

How long is this HSK 2 speaking lesson?

Each live conversation lesson targets one grammar pattern and takes roughly 10 minutes. In this lesson you focus on Still / Continuing — saying that something is still happening or hasn't happened yet. Mei Lin adapts the conversation to your level and corrects you as you talk.

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