How to use 又
又 + 不 / 没 + Verb
又 before a negative predicate can emphasize a fact that the speaker thinks should already be recognized. It often pushes back against an assumption or argues that another person's response is unnecessary. The sentence may therefore sound like a reminder, a defense, or a challenge rather than a neutral report.
Choose 不 or 没 according to the negative meaning, then place 又 before it. The structure does not mean that a failure happened “again” simply because 又 often marks repetition elsewhere. A following question about why somebody acts a certain way can make the objection clear. Tone matters: the same grammatical emphasis can support reassurance in one setting and irritation or accusation in another.
Examples with pinyin and English
问我干吗？我又不知道。
Why ask me? I definitely don't know.
这些菜又没坏，为什么要扔？
These dishes haven't gone bad. Why would you throw them away?
不要生气，我又不是故意的。
Don't be mad.It really wasn't on purpose.
今天又不热，开空调干吗？
It's not hot today. Why turn on the air conditioner?
What to remember
- Put 又 before the negative marker.
- Choose 不 or 没 by the predicate's meaning.
- Read the emphasis as contextual pushback.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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