ChinesePath还 (hái): Still, Also, Fairly, and "You Even…?" — Four Meanings in One Adverb
还 hái looks like four different words wearing one hat: it can mean "still", "in addition", "fairly / passably", and — in its trickiest use — it can throw the speaker's raised eyebrow into the sentence ("you even have the nerve to…"). All four are everyday Chinese, and they are told apart by position and context. Here is the map.
Meaning 1: "still" — the situation continues
The most common 还: a state or action persists, nothing has changed yet.
- 我还没说完。Wǒ hái méi shuō wán. (I'm not done talking yet.)
- 他还在公司。Tā hái zài gōngsī. (He's still at the office.)
- 雨还在下。Yǔ hái zài xià. (It's still raining.)
还没 + verb is the standard "not yet": 我还没吃饭 (I haven't eaten yet).
Meaning 2: "in addition, also"
还 adds one more item on top of what's been said:
- 我会英语，还会汉语。Wǒ huì Yīngyǔ, hái huì Hànyǔ. (I speak English, and Chinese as well.)
- 他买了苹果，还买了西瓜。Tā mǎi le píngguǒ, hái mǎi le xīguā. (He bought apples, and a watermelon too.)
How is this different from 也? 也 says the same thing holds for another subject (他也会汉语 — he too speaks Chinese); 还 says the same subject has one more thing going (他还会汉语 — he additionally speaks Chinese).
Meaning 3: "fairly, passably" — the modest thumbs-up
Before an evaluation, 还 dials it down to "reasonably, acceptably":
- 这本书还不错。Zhè běn shū hái bùcuò. (This book is pretty good.)
- 今天还挺冷。Jīntiān hái tǐng lěng. (It's rather cold today.)
还不错 / 还可以 / 还行 are the standard lukewarm-positive answers to "how was it?" — praise with the enthusiasm deliberately capped.
Meaning 4: counter-expectation — the raised eyebrow
The hardest and most idiomatic 还: it marks that reality defies what should be the case, coloring the sentence with surprise, irony or reproach:
- 你还知道回来？Nǐ hái zhīdào huílái? (Oh, so you do remember to come home?) — you'd forgotten this place existed
- 他还好意思说？Tā hái hǎoyìsi shuō? (He has the nerve to bring it up?)
There is no direct English word for this 还 — the meaning lives in the mismatch between what happened and what the speaker thinks should be normal.
还 vs 再 vs 又 on "more/again"
When adding or repeating, three adverbs compete. The quick test:
| Word | Territory | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 还 | future addition, especially with modal verbs and wants | 我还想学呢。(I want to keep learning.) |
| 再 | future repetition of an action | 明天再来。(Come again tomorrow.) |
| 又 | repetition that already happened | 他又来了。(He came again.) |
还 also fronts comparisons for "even more": 今天比昨天还热 (today is even hotter than yesterday) — a natural extension of its "on top of that" logic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main meanings of 还?
Four: "still" (他还在公司 — he's still at the office), "in addition" (还会弹钢琴 — can also play piano), "fairly" (还不错 — pretty good), and counter-expectation with attitude (你还好意思说? — you have the nerve to say that?).
How do I say "not yet" in Chinese?
还没 (or 还没有) + verb: 我还没吃饭 (I haven't eaten yet), 他还没来 (he's not here yet). The 还 marks that the situation of "not having done it" still continues.
What does 还不错 mean exactly?
"Pretty good / not bad" — a genuine but measured positive. The 还 caps the praise at "reasonably"; enthusiastic praise drops it: 很好 / 非常好.
What is the difference between 还 and 也 for "also"?
也 extends the same predicate to another subject (我也会 — I can too); 还 stacks another item onto the same subject (我还会汉语 — I can additionally speak Chinese). Different direction of "adding".
What does 你还好意思说 mean?
"And you have the nerve to mention it?" This 还 marks outrage at a mismatch: given what happened, mentioning it should be unthinkable — yet here you are. It is a purely attitudinal use with no "still/also" translation.
Try the first unit free