also

我喜欢茶,也喜欢咖啡。

I like tea, and I also like coffee.


formal

used to indicate similarity or addition in a statement

他会说英语,也会说法语。

He can speak English, and he can also speak French.

这个菜不仅好看,也好吃。

This dish is not only good-looking, but also delicious.

也 is often paired with 也...也... to indicate 'both... and...' in compound sentences.

formal

used to emphasize a situation that is contrary to expectation

虽然很累,但是我也要完成工作。

Even though I'm tired, I still have to finish the work.

也 can be used in sentences with contrasting clauses, often with conjunctions like 虽然 (suīrán, although) or 但是 (dànshì, but).

formal

used to indicate a situation where the subject is the same as previously mentioned

A:你去吗? B:我也去。

A: Are you going? B: I'm going too.

也 can replace the subject in responses to indicate agreement or similarity with the previous speaker.

Collocations

不仅...也...not only... but also...虽然...但是...也...although... but... still...也好might as well

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

也...也...phrase
both... and...

Pro Tip

Position in Sentence

也 typically appears after the subject and before the verb or adjective. For example: '他也喜欢音乐' (He also likes music).

Gold Rule

Pairing with Conjunctions

也 often works with conjunctions like 不仅 (bùjǐn, not only), 虽然 (suīrán, although), or 但是 (dànshì, but) to form compound sentences that express contrast or addition.

Word Origin

The character 也 originated from the ancient Chinese character for 'earth' or 'ground,' which was later used as a phonetic component in other characters. Over time, it evolved into a grammatical particle indicating emphasis or similarity, particularly in the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE).

Usage Notes

也 is a versatile adverb that does not change form regardless of tense or number. It is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in compound sentences to connect ideas of similarity, addition, or contrast.

Word Breakdown

adverb indicating similarity, addition, or emphasis
root
汉英词典