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也
yě
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.
Related Phrases
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
也
adverb indicating similarity, addition, or emphasis
root汉英词典