还
hái
The English word 'yet' can be translated into Chinese as 还 (hái), which is used to mean 'nevertheless' or 'however'.
In certain contexts, it is part of phrases like 还没来得及, which means 'not yet had the chance/opportunity to' or 还早着呢, which means 'it's still too early'.
Meaning: nevertheless, however (conj)
How do you pronounce it?
hái
Did you know?
- In written Chinese, 还 has a homophone 还 pronounced as huán which means 'to return' or 'to give back'.
- The word 还 (hái) can be used to mean 'even more' in a comparative sense, such as 'even better', which is a completely different usage from 'yet' or 'still'.
- If you want to say 'not yet' very emphatically, you might use the phrase 还没呢 (hái méi ne), where the 'ne' acts as a verbal shrug or a way to soften the refusal.
Examples in context
- 吉姆还没来。Jim hasn't come yet.This sentence is useful for saying someone hasn't arrived yet using 还.Tatoeba #402785 by GlossaMatik, translation #53304 by CN
- 饭还没做好。The food's not ready yet.This sentence is useful for saying food is not ready yet using 还.Tatoeba #426709 by GlossaMatik, translation #426708 by CM
- 事情可还没完。But it wasn't over yet.This sentence is useful for saying things were not over yet using 还.Tatoeba #2367613 by GlossaMatik, translation #2367614 by eastasiastudent
- 86 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 俊杰 Junjie这部电影很长，还很好看。Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn cháng, hái hěn hǎokàn.This movie is long, yet it is very good.
- 雨婷 Yuting我同意，剧情很有意思。Wǒ tóngyì, jùqíng hěn yǒu yìsi.I agree, the plot is very interesting.
- 俊杰 Junjie可是结尾有点奇怪。Kěshì jiéwěi yǒudiǎn qíguài.But the ending was a bit strange.
- 雨婷 Yuting确实，而且太突然了。Quèshí, érqiě tài tūrán le.True, and it was too sudden.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
