<p>When zài followed by a noun, it can only mean 在 </p>

<p>When zài followed by a verb, you have to check the context. -- 我在看电影 (I am watching movies) is a complete sentence. 我再看电影 (I watch movie again) doesn't sound like a complete sentence (need more context) </p>

<p>More example:</p>

<p>我在钓鱼 = I am fishing (complete sentence)</p>

<p>我再钓鱼 = I fishing again  (seems incomplete)</p>

<p>下次我再钓鱼, 会记得确认是不是钓鱼季节 = Next time I go fishing again, I would remember to confirm it is the fishing season or not (it is a complete sentence)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:13:54.713Z
How could you make `我再看电影` complete in a minimal example? Something like `我再看电影一次`?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:16:20.700Z
1. Add a time reference, e.g. 我下次再看电影 (I will watch movies next time - implying not this time),  2, add verb before it . e.g.   我想再看电影 (I want to watch movies again)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:20:26.107Z
If you heard case 2, couldn't also seem to be `我想在看电影` - `I wish I was watching a movie` ?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:21:55.183Z
"我想在看电影" = "I want to -  be watching movies" doesn't sound logical
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:26:39.250Z
'Want to' doesn't  usually followed by verb in present progressive tense
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:30:31.050Z
"I wish I was watching a movie"in Chinese is  "我(希望)我(正)在看电影"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-04T21:26:33.457Z
“When zài followed by a noun, it can only mean 在”　
Not necessarily true, compare e.g. 再教育 (re-education).
imrek
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T00:48:26.763Z
再教育 means 're-educate'. e.g.  In North Korea "re-educate is a code name for 'torture'
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T10:13:45.487Z
教育 is both a noun and a verb. Look it up in any reasonable dictionary, and you'll find it tagged with 名 (noun). It's also a noun in compounds like 教育部 (Ministry of Education, not "Educate Ministry"). You'll have to update your answer.
imrek
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-01T22:08:44.993Z
2020-06-02T19:10:05.760Z
2020-06-02T19:10:05.760Z
Tang Ho
<p>In the given example, 再 is the &quot;future again&quot;, i.e., <em>future tense</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>While 又 (yòu) is used for &quot;again&quot; in the past, 再 (zài) is used for &quot;again&quot; in the future.<br />
<sub><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22again%22_in_the_future_with_%22zai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Expressing &quot;again&quot; in the future with &quot;zai&quot;</a>, Chinese Grammar Wiki; see also <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22zai%22_and_%22you%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Comparing &quot;zai&quot; and &quot;you&quot;</a></sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>(Putting aside other grammar structures, such as <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_with_%22xian%22_and_%22zai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">先...再...</a>.)</p>
<p>However, the 在 is short for 正在 which expresses actions in progress, i.e., <em>present tense</em> (or at least, continuity within the specified time period).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used as auxiliary verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress.<br />
<sub><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_actions_in_progress_with_%22zai%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Expressing actions in progress with &quot;zai&quot;</a>, Chinese Grammar Wiki</sub></p>
</blockquote>
<p>So 我<strong>再</strong>看电影 feels incomplete because you'd expect more context, e.g., a specified time period.  Without 再 it could be 我<strong>又</strong>看电影了 [&quot;I'm again watching a movie&quot;], or with 再 we might say:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我<strong>再</strong>也不看电影了。<br />
I will not watch a movie again.</p>
<p>我明天<strong>再</strong>去看电影。<br />
I will go watch a movie again tomorrow.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T10:28:23.923Z
The main point I guess is if 我再看电影 is really incomplete or it just feels incomplete because people tend to say more specifications in order to distinguish it from the other zài 在?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T09:45:18.867Z
2020-06-02T09:45:18.867Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>1.我在看电影。 - I'm watching a movie.</p>

<p>2.我想再看一次电影。 - I want to watch the movie again.</p>

<p>在 = ing </p>

<p>再 = again</p>

<p>Although the pron is same but the meaning is not same.</p>

<p>再 is use like "再..一次"  or  "再一次"(next time).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T09:31:43.283Z
2020-06-02T09:31:43.283Z
高鵬翔
<p>I don't think 我再看电影 would be used along. It could be used in some longer statement such as:</p>

<ul>
<li>等周末有空我再看电影 (I will watch (some / the) movie(s) once I'm free in weekends.)</li>
<li>我再看电影一定要多穿点 (I must wear more next time I come to watch a movie.)</li>
<li><s>我再看电影我是狗 (I don't want to watch movies any more.)</s></li>
</ul>

<p>In case 'wo zai kan-dianying' is the full sentence. It should be 在.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T05:54:27.757Z
2020-06-02T05:54:27.757Z
tsh
<p>I wonder how one can distinguish in an oral conversation between homophone words: <code>再</code> and <code>在</code>, as both have the same pronunciation <code>zài</code>.</p>

<p>For example, in the sentence</p>

<p><code>Wǒ zài kàn diànyǐng.</code></p>

<p>how one can identify which of the following possibilities the speaker is referring to:</p>

<ol>
<li><p><code>我在看电影。</code> - <code>I'm watching a movie.</code></p></li>
<li><p><code>我再看电影。</code> - <code>I watch again the movie.</code></p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T09:54:31.357Z
(Answerers, please make sure to answer the question, not just correct the example.)
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-02T20:25:33.023Z
Regardless of your specific example, how do you distinguish between homophones in English (or any other language)? Context usually shows which meaning is intended.
Olle Linge
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T10:27:59.163Z
I agree with @OlleLinge, there is no rule of thumb other than discerning it from the context. To be able to do that, you'll have to get experience in listening comprehension. "There", "their", "they're" are homophones in English. How do you decide if /ðeə(r) haʊs ɪz ɒn faɪə(r)/ is (a) "There house is on fire", (b) "They're house is on fire", or (c) "Their house is on fire", if not by your experience of spoken English comprehension and your ability to filter out what's logical and not.
imrek
<meaning><difference><characters><phonology>
How to distinguish between homophone words 再 and 在 zài
# How to distinguish between homophone words 再 and 在 zài

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-01)

I wonder how one can distinguish in an oral conversation between homophone words: `再` and `在`, as both have the same pronunciation `zài`.

For example, in the sentence

`Wǒ zài kàn diànyǐng.`

how one can identify which of the following possibilities the speaker is referring to:

1. `我在看电影。` - `I'm watching a movie.`
2. `我再看电影。` - `I watch again the movie.`

**Tags:** meaning, difference, characters, phonology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: (Answerers, please make sure to answer the question, not just correct the example.)  
> **username_2**: Regardless of your specific example, how do you distinguish between homophones in English (or any other language)? Context usually shows which meaning is intended.  
> **username_3**: I agree with @OlleLinge, there is no rule of thumb other than discerning it from the context. To be able to do that, you'll have to get experience in listening comprehension. "There", "their", "they're" are homophones in English. How do you decide if /ðeə(r) haʊs ɪz ɒn faɪə(r)/ is (a) "There house is on fire", (b) "They're house is on fire", or (c) "Their house is on fire", if not by your experience of spoken English comprehension and your ability to filter out what's logical and not.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-06-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

When zài followed by a noun, it can only mean 在

When zài followed by a verb, you have to check the context. -- 我在看电影 (I am watching movies) is a complete sentence. 我再看电影 (I watch movie again) doesn't sound like a complete sentence (need more context)

More example:

我在钓鱼 = I am fishing (complete sentence)

我再钓鱼 = I fishing again (seems incomplete)

下次我再钓鱼, 会记得确认是不是钓鱼季节 = Next time I go fishing again, I would remember to confirm it is the fishing season or not (it is a complete sentence)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: How could you make `我再看电影` complete in a minimal example? Something like `我再看电影一次`?  
> **username_4**: 1. Add a time reference, e.g. 我下次再看电影 (I will watch movies next time - implying not this time),  2, add verb before it . e.g.   我想再看电影 (I want to watch movies again)  
> **username_0**: If you heard case 2, couldn't also seem to be `我想在看电影` - `I wish I was watching a movie` ?  
> **username_4**: "我想在看电影" = "I want to -  be watching movies" doesn't sound logical  
> **username_4**: 'Want to' doesn't  usually followed by verb in present progressive tense  
> **username_4**: "I wish I was watching a movie"in Chinese is  "我(希望)我(正)在看电影"  
> **username_3**: “When zài followed by a noun, it can only mean 在”　 Not necessarily true, compare e.g. 再教育 (re-education).  
> **username_4**: 再教育 means 're-educate'. e.g.  In North Korea "re-educate is a code name for 'torture'  
> **username_3**: 教育 is both a noun and a verb. Look it up in any reasonable dictionary, and you'll find it tagged with 名 (noun). It's also a noun in compounds like 教育部 (Ministry of Education, not "Educate Ministry"). You'll have to update your answer.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-02. Score: 1

In the given example, 再 is the "future again", i.e., *future tense*:

> While 又 (yòu) is used for "again" in the past, 再 (zài) is used for "again" in the future.  
> [Expressing "again" in the future with "zai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22again%22_in_the_future_with_%22zai%22), Chinese Grammar Wiki; see also [Comparing "zai" and "you"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22zai%22_and_%22you%22)

(Putting aside other grammar structures, such as [先...再...](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_with_%22xian%22_and_%22zai%22).)

However, the 在 is short for 正在 which expresses actions in progress, i.e., *present tense* (or at least, continuity within the specified time period).

> 在 (zài) and 正在 (zhèngzài) can be used as auxiliary verbs to express that an action is ongoing or in progress.  
> [Expressing actions in progress with "zai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_actions_in_progress_with_%22zai%22), Chinese Grammar Wiki

So 我**再**看电影 feels incomplete because you'd expect more context, e.g., a specified time period. Without 再 it could be 我**又**看电影了 ["I'm again watching a movie"], or with 再 we might say:

> 我**再**也不看电影了。  
> I will not watch a movie again.
>
> 我明天**再**去看电影。  
> I will go watch a movie again tomorrow.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: The main point I guess is if 我再看电影 is really incomplete or it just feels incomplete because people tend to say more specifications in order to distinguish it from the other zài 在?  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-06-02. Score: 0

1.我在看电影。 - I'm watching a movie.

2.我想再看一次电影。 - I want to watch the movie again.

在 = ing

再 = again

Although the pron is same but the meaning is not same.

再 is use like "再..一次" or "再一次"(next time).


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-06-02. Score: 0

I don't think 我再看电影 would be used along. It could be used in some longer statement such as:

* 等周末有空我再看电影 (I will watch (some / the) movie(s) once I'm free in weekends.)
* 我再看电影一定要多穿点 (I must wear more next time I come to watch a movie.)
* ~~我再看电影我是狗 (I don't want to watch movies any more.)~~

In case 'wo zai kan-dianying' is the full sentence. It should be 在.


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