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still / also / yet (also huán: to return)

hái
7 strokes · 辶 (walk radical) + 不 · HSK 1

Where 还 comes from

还 (traditional 還) carries the walking radical 辶 — its root meaning (read huán) is 'to go back / return'. Read hái, it became one of Chinese's most useful little adverbs: still, yet, also, in addition.

还 in Chinese culture

还 (hái) adds 'still / also / more': 还有 (there's still / also have, with 有), 还是 (or / still, with 是), 还好 (not bad / luckily, with 好), 我还要 (I want more). It's the word for 'not finished yet' — 还没 (not yet). Read huán it means 'to return/give back': 还书 (return a book, with 书), 还钱 (pay back money, with 钱). So one character holds both 'still ongoing' and 'giving back' — both about things that continue or come back around.

Example

还有 hái yǒu — still have / and also

我还有时间。
Wǒ hái yǒu shíjiān.
I still have time.

How to remember it

Walking (辶) back around — to RETURN (huán); and 'still / yet' (hái).

还 reads two ways: hái = 'still/also' (还有 = there's more), huán = 'to give back' (还书 = return a book). Same character, two lives — both about things coming round again.

Same sound, different tones

1st hāi
hi / hey
2nd hái
still / also
3rd hǎi
sea
4th hài
harm

Words unlocked by 还

还有 hái yǒu
still have / also
还好 hái hǎo
not bad / luckily
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