What does 再 mean in Chinese?

再 (zài) means "again" in Chinese. The new HSK exam expects you to recognise it at HSK 1.

How do you write 再?

再 is written with 6 strokes, starting from the 冂 (down box) radical and following standard Chinese stroke order (top to bottom, left to right). See the interactive stroke-order tool for the full animation.

What is the radical of 再?

The radical of 再 is 冂 (down box, Kangxi radical #13). Other common HSK characters using the same radical include 同, 冂.

How many strokes does 再 have?

The Chinese character 再 has 6 strokes.

What HSK level is 再?

On the new HSK exam syllabus, 再 is a character to recognise at HSK 1.

再 (zài): Meaning, Stroke Order, Radical & Examples

再

zài

again

HSK 1 character 6 strokes Radical: 冂 (down box)

Quick Answer

再 (zài) means "again" with 6 strokes, radical 冂 (down box), HSK 1 on the new exam.

Full dictionary entry for 再 →Animated stroke-order for 再 →

Pronunciation

zài

Meaning

Primary: again

Etymology

Oracle-bone origin

The oracle-bone graph of 再 shows a fish (or sometimes interpreted as a stack of items) with an added mark, often read as 'one more' added to an existing count. The traditional analysis, following the Shuowen Jiezi, is that it depicts 'one' (一) over 冓 (interlaced pieces), signifying doubling or pairing. Either reading fits the core sense of 'again, one more time'.

Form evolution

Bronze forms keep the stacked or paired structure clearly visible. Seal script tightens this into a rectangular frame with internal cross-strokes. Clerical script regularises the mess of inner lines into the modern shape: a top horizontal, a vertical crossing a 冂 frame, and two internal horizontals, giving the six-stroke 楷书 form.

How the meaning evolved

The original meaning 'a second time, once more' is preserved essentially unchanged in modern Mandarin. From there it extended to 'again, furthermore' in adverbial use (再说 'moreover') and to 'then, and only then' in conditional constructions (吃完再走 'finish eating then leave'). Classical 再 specifically meant 'twice' as opposed to 复 'repeatedly'; this numeric precision has faded in the modern language.

Cultural note

再见 (zài jiàn, 'goodbye') literally means 'see again' and mirrors the structure of European farewells like au revoir or auf Wiedersehen. Learners sometimes confuse 再 ('again, in the future') with 又 (yòu, 'again, already happened'); the tense orientation is the key distinction.

Mnemonic

Lines repeat in a frame — again

Basic info

Pinyin	zài
Meanings	again
Stroke count	6 strokes
Radical	冂 (#13: down box)
New HSK exam	Recognise at HSK 1
Frequency	#599 most common

Example sentences

再见！
Zàijiàn!
Goodbye!
From 再 (HSK 1)
明天再见！
Míngtiān zàijiàn!
See you tomorrow!
From 再见 (HSK 1)
他一再强调这一点。
Tā yízài qiángdiào zhè yi diǎn.
He repeatedly emphasized this point.
From 一再 (HSK 6)