How to Write 再 (zài) — Meaning “again; once more”

Imagine a person saying 'goodbye' (再见) and then waving their hand in a circular motion to come back again. The top part of 再 looks like a little cap or head, and the bottom strokes resemble two arms reaching out for a repeat performance.

Start with the horizontal stroke at the top, then the left vertical and right vertical of the 冂 radical. Next write the middle horizontal stroke, then the long horizontal at the bottom, and finally the small vertical stroke through the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the bottom horizontal too short or forgetting the final vertical stroke.

再 has a horizontal line through the middle and a small vertical stroke at the bottom, meaning 'again'. 円 (yuán) has a square enclosure with a small vertical inside and means 'circle' or 'yen'. 冈 (gāng) is a hill radical with a cross shape inside, meaning 'ridge' or 'mound'. Their meanings and stroke patterns are distinct.

再 is very common and means 'again' or 'once more', often used before verbs like 再说 (to talk again). It is also part of the everyday farewell 再见 (goodbye, literally 'see again'). In Chinese culture, saying 再见 is polite and common when leaving, reflecting the idea of meeting again.

Common words containing 再 include: 再见 (zài jiàn) — Goodbye; 再说 (zài shuō) — Talk about it later / besides; 再一次 (zài yí cì) — once again; one more time.