也

yě

HSK 2.0 Level 2 HSK 3.0 Level 1 Adverb Very common

Definitions

1. (adverb) also; both ... and ... (before predicates only)
2. (literary) particle having functions similar to 啊[a]

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Character focus

Stroke order

3 strokes

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 就 jiù 就 jiù (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then 就 can mean 'only' or 'just', contrasting with 也's additive 'also'.: (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then

Related words

2 items

• 又 yòu 又 yòu (once) again 又 is used for 'also' in past or completed actions, often paired with 又...又... for simultaneous states.: (once) again
• 都 dōu 都 dōu all; both; entirely 都 means 'all' or 'both', whereas 也 means 'also'; 也 is used for adding similar items.: all; both; entirely

Synonyms

1 item

• 还 hái 还 hái still Both can mean 'also', but 还 often implies 'in addition' or 'still', while 也 is simply 'also'.: still

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used in the pattern 连...也... meaning 'even', or in 无论...也... meaning 'no matter...'.

Common mistakes

也 comes before the predicate (verb/adjective) and after the subject. Don't place it at the beginning of a clause like English 'also'.

Grammar

Guides that feature 也

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3 guides

HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 5+ 7 min

Even Emphasis with 连...都

Use 连...都 to make advanced emphasis sentences precise and natural.

Reading: yě Open guide

HSK 2.0 Level 1+ HSK 3.0 Level 1+ 6 min

都 and 也 Word Order

Place “all” and “also” naturally in short Chinese sentences.

Reading: yě Open guide

HSK 2.0 Level 3+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 6 min

除了 for “Except”

Handle basic exception sentences before the HSK 4 expanded pattern.

Reading: yě Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

我 也 是学生。

I am also a student.

哭 也 无济于事，还是想办法解决问题吧。

Crying is of no use; let's think of a way to solve the problem instead.

我一点 也 不想家。

I don't miss home at all.

连他 也 来了。

Even he came.

异性朋友之间 也 可以有纯粹的友谊。

There can be pure friendship between opposite-sex friends.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 也

• 也好 也好 yě hǎo: that's fine
• 也就是说 也就是说 yě jiù shì shuō: in other words
• 也许 也许 yě xǔ: perhaps
• 再也 再也 zài yě: (not) any more
• 不提也罢 不提也罢 bù tí yě bà: best not to mention it
• 之乎者也 之乎者也 zhī hū zhě yě: lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
• 也好不了多少 也好不了多少 yě hǎo bu liǎo duō shǎo: hardly any better
• 也好不到哪里去 也好不到哪里去 yě hǎo bù dào nǎ lǐ qù: just as bad; not much better
• 也就是 也就是 yě jiù shì: that is
• 也有今天 也有今天 yě yǒu jīn tiān: (coll.) to get one's just deserts
• 也罢 也罢 yě bà: (reduplicated) whether... or...
• 也门 也门 yě mén: Yemen
• 人之将死，其言也善 人之将死，其言也善 rén zhī jiāng sǐ , qí yán yě shàn: words of a man on his deathbed always come from the heart (proverb)
• 来而不往非礼也 来而不往非礼也 lái ér bù wǎng fēi lǐ yě: not to reciprocate is against etiquette (classical)
• 吾生也有涯，而知也无涯 吾生也有涯，而知也无涯 wú shēng yě yǒu yá , ér zhī yě wú yá: Life is short, learning is limitless
• 想也没想 想也没想 xiǎng yě méi xiǎng: without a second thought
• 成也萧何，败也萧何 成也萧何，败也萧何 chéng yě xiāo hé , bài yě xiāo hé: lit. raised up by Xiao He, cast down by Xiao He (idiom), alluding to Han Xin 韓信|韩信[hán xìn] being made Grand General 大將軍|大将军[dà jiāng jūn]
• 我也是醉了 我也是醉了 wǒ yě shì zuì le: (Internet slang) I can't even...
• 梯也尔 梯也尔 tī yě ěr: Adolphe Thiers
• 满口之乎者也 满口之乎者也 mǎn kǒu zhī hū zhě yě: mouth full of literary phrases
• 空空如也 空空如也 kōng kōng rú yě: as empty as anything (idiom); completely bereft
• 维也纳 维也纳 wéi yě nà: Vienna, capital of Austria
• 蚊子再小也是肉 蚊子再小也是肉 wén zi zài xiǎo yě shì ròu: lit. even a mosquito, though tiny, provides some nourishment (idiom)
• 蚂蚱也是肉 蚂蚱也是肉 mà zha yě shì ròu: lit. even a locust provides some nourishment (idiom)
• 说也奇怪 说也奇怪 shuō yě qí guài: strangely enough
• 躺着也中枪 躺着也中枪 tǎng zhe yě zhòng qiāng: (Internet slang) (lit.) to get shot even though lying down; (fig.) to be unfairly targeted
• 丑媳妇早晚也得见公婆 丑媳妇早晚也得见公婆 chǒu xí fù zǎo wǎn yě děi jiàn gōng pó: lit. the ugly daughter-in-law must sooner or later meet her parents-in-law (idiom)
• 陀思妥也夫斯基 陀思妥也夫斯基 tuó sī tuǒ yě fū sī jī: Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821-1881), great Russian novelist, author of Crime and Punishment 罪與罰|罪与罚[zuì yǔ fá]
• 飞也似的 飞也似的 fēi yě shì de: lit. as if flying
• 食色性也 食色性也 shí sè xìng yě: Appetite and lust are only natural (Mencius 6A:4).