All the uses about 还 (hái)

All the uses about 还 (hái)

Correlative adverb

“还” means in addition. There is additional information to the former clause， which often refers to the increase in quantity or the expansion in scope.

……，还……

e.g.

他要去上海，还要去北京。(Tā yào qù shànghǎi, hái yào qù běijīng.) He is going to Shanghai, and also to Beijing.

我喜欢吃水果，还喜欢喝咖啡。(Wǒ xǐhuān chī shuǐguǒ, hái xǐhuān hē kāfēi.) I like to eat fruit and also like to drink coffee.

我昨天打了篮球，还踢了足球。(Wǒ zuótiān dǎle lánqiú, hái tīle zúqiú.) I played basketball yesterday and I also played football.

Subject + 还 + Verb

e.g.

A: 吃了面条，你还想吃什么？(Chīle miàntiáo, nǐ hái xiǎng chī shénme?) After eating noodles, what else do you want to eat?

B：我还想吃冰淇淋。(Wǒ hái xiǎng chī bīngqílín.) I also want to eat ice cream.

 

A：晚上一起去跑步吗？(Wǎnshàng yīqǐ qù pǎobù ma?) Do you go for a run together at night?

B: 晚上我们还要开会，我不能去跑步了。(Wǎnshàng wǒmen hái yào kāihuì, wǒ bùnéng qù pǎobùle.) We have a meeting tonight, so I can’t go for a run.

 

A：下课很长时间了，教室里还有一个人。他是谁？(Xiàkè hěn cháng shíjiānle, jiàoshì lǐ hái yǒuyī gèrén. Tā shì shéi?)  It’s been a long time since class ended, and there is still one person in the classroom. Who is he?

B：我也不认识。(Wǒ yě bú rènshi.)  I don’t know him either.

Adverb of time

“还” indicates that an action or event started before the time of speaking and has been going on without a stop, or remains unchanged.

e.g.

他们还在上课呢。(Tāmen hái zài shàngkè ne.) They are still in class.

>> It indicates that they are still having class.

 

现在晚上十点了，他还在唱歌。(Xiànzài wǎnshàng shí diǎnle, tā hái zài chànggē.) It’s ten o’clock in the evening, and he is still singing.

>> It indicates that he is still singing now.

 

早上在下雨，晚上还在下雨。(Zǎoshang zài xiàyǔ, wǎnshàng hái zài xiàyǔ.) It was raining in the morning, and it was still raining at night.

>> It indicates that it has been raining since the morning.

Adverb of degree

“还” also indicates that the speaker thinks it is comparatively good or satisfactory though not the best or the most satisfactory. There are some commonly used phrases, such as “还可以” “还不错” “还行”, etc.

非常好 > 很好 > 还可以/还行/还不错 > 一般 > 不太好 > 不好

It is neither very good nor very bad.

Subject + 还 + Adjective (+ 一点儿/一些)

Subject + 还 + Verb

e.g.

这个房间不干净，那个房间还干净一些。(Zhège fángjiān bù gānjìng, nàgè fángjiān hái gānjìng yīxiē.) This room is not clean, but that room is cleaner.

你的新裙子还不错。(Nǐ de xīn qún zǐ huán búcuò.) Your new dress is not bad.

这次考试我还算满意。(Zhè cì kǎoshì wǒ hái suàn mǎnyì.) I’m fairly satisfied with the exam.

 

A：这杯咖啡能喝吗？(Zhè bēi kāfēi néng hē ma?) Is this cup of coffee drinkable?

B：还能喝，就是不热了。(Hái néng hē, jiùshì bú rè le.) You can drink it, but it’s not hot anymore.