<p>I think it's not anything but convention here.  You can say 我明年还想再去 in Chinese if you don't want to specify one time.</p>
<p>我明年还想再去一次 means I want to go there one more time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T02:50:46.417Z
But what is it more normal when you speak in Chinese: to specify 一次 or not?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T04:30:45.467Z
@Puco4 It depends on what you want to say.  Both are normal.  If you feel you like the place and you can't visit often because cost, distance, etc but you want to visit it one more time,  you can say 我还要再来一次.  If you feel the place is very nice and you want to visit more times(but not sure how many'), you can say 我还想再来.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T00:16:40.780Z
2020-08-11T00:16:40.780Z
dan
<p>Why don't you just think of 一次 as 'once' and 再一次 as 'once again'?</p>
<p>三年以前我去过一次上海，<br />
I went to Shanghai once 3 years ago,<br />
去年我又去了一次，<br />
last year I went there once again,<br />
明年我想再去一次。<br />
and next year I'm going another time. (didn't want to repeat once again again)</p>
<p>三年前我去过上海<strong>一次</strong>，但是不喜欢。<br />
Hace tres años me fui <strong>una vez</strong> a Shanghai, pero no me gustó en nada.<br />
I went to Shanghai <strong>once</strong> 3 years ago, but I didn't like it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T09:06:44.073Z
2020-08-12T09:06:44.073Z
Pedroski
<p>Because we lack of adverb that describes &quot;again&quot;. So we have to specifically use &quot;once more&quot; to describe &quot;again&quot;. 再一次 function as again.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T22:21:00.817Z
2020-08-10T22:21:00.817Z
000
<p>Grammatically, 次 is a <strong>verbal classifier</strong> (a <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/40174/whats-the-difference-between-classifiers-and-measure-words/40175#40175">classifier proper</a>), which expresses how many times the action indicated by the verb occurs. The origin of your confusion comes because classifiers are not used in English but they are <em>natural</em> in Chinese.</p>
<p>Classifiers (verbal or nominal) must come with a <em>numeral phrase</em>. In this sense, the <strong>numeral 一 (one)</strong> might be interpreted here having more a <strong>grammatical function</strong> than a <strong>semantic function</strong> (i.e., it doesn't carry enough meaning to be translated in the target language). Indeed, it is possible to omit the entire numeral phrase 一次 and just say 明年夏天我打算去, provided the place is clear from the context.</p>
<p>As an example, the sentence 我昨天买了一本书 presents a slight ambiguity, right? It could be &quot;Yesterday I bought <em>a book</em>&quot; (&quot;one&quot; has grammatical function, translated as indefinite article) or &quot;Yesterday I bought <em>one book</em>&quot; (&quot;one&quot; has semantic function, translated as &quot;one&quot;). Though without further context, you should favor the former, because of what I said above.</p>
<p>Finally, whereas the number &quot;one&quot; may or may not be semantically relevant, any other numeral is likely to be so.</p>
<p>As always, check the context:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>老朱呢？我来叫他<strong>一声</strong> = Where's Lao Zhu at? Let me call him (&quot;one&quot; is grammatical)</p>
<p>我叫了他<strong>两声</strong>，他还不听 = I called him <strong>twice</strong>, he still doesn't listen (&quot;two&quot; is semantic)</p>
<p>那本书我不太记得，我只看了<strong>一遍</strong> = I don't quite remember that book, I only read it <strong>once</strong> (&quot;one&quot; is semantic)</p>
<p>请你来帮我<strong>一下</strong>忙 = please give me a hand (&quot;one&quot; is grammatical)</p>
<p>我被他骂了<strong>一堆</strong> = He scolded me badly (literally, a pile) (verbal measure word (!), &quot;one&quot; is grammatical)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-10T22:42:16.643Z
2020-08-11T09:59:25.927Z
2020-08-11T09:59:25.927Z
blackgreen
<p>I came across these translated examples:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>[Talking about a place]:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>明年夏天我打算去<strong>一次</strong>。</p>
<p>Mínɡnián xiàtiān wǒ dǎsuàn qù <strong>yí cì</strong>。</p>
<p>I plan to go there next summer.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>
<p>三年以前我去过上海，去年我又去了<strong>一次</strong>，明年我想再去<strong>一次</strong>。</p>
<p>Sān nián yǐqián wǒ qùguò shànghǎi, qùnián wǒ yòu qùle <strong>yīcì</strong>, míngnián wǒ xiǎng zài qù <strong>yīcì</strong>.</p>
<p>I went to Shanghai three years ago, I went there again last year, and I want to go again next year.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>In English (or Spanish), typically we would not say &quot;you go <em>one time</em> to a place&quot;, <em>one time</em> is already implied in the verb <em>to go</em> and it feels weird to state it unless you want to emphasize for some reason &quot;you are going <em>just one time</em>&quot;. Why 一次 is specified in these examples?</strong> Previously, I had understood the use of 一次 in the second example was required for 又 and 再, however the first example does not have any special structure.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T23:34:15.647Z
I’m not sure about Spanish, but in English the “one time” idea is very common in colloquial language. “I’m going to take a trip to Shanghai”, “I’m going to have a nap”, “I’m going to have a feed”...
dROOOze
<grammar><usage><meaning-in-context><sentence-structure>
What is the function of 一次 in "去一次"?
# What is the function of 一次 in "去一次"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-10)

I came across these translated examples:

1. [Talking about a place]:

   > 明年夏天我打算去**一次**。
   >
   > Mínɡnián xiàtiān wǒ dǎsuàn qù **yí cì**。
   >
   > I plan to go there next summer.
2. > 三年以前我去过上海，去年我又去了**一次**，明年我想再去**一次**。
   >
   > Sān nián yǐqián wǒ qùguò shànghǎi, qùnián wǒ yòu qùle **yīcì**, míngnián wǒ xiǎng zài qù **yīcì**.
   >
   > I went to Shanghai three years ago, I went there again last year, and I want to go again next year.

**In English (or Spanish), typically we would not say "you go *one time* to a place", *one time* is already implied in the verb *to go* and it feels weird to state it unless you want to emphasize for some reason "you are going *just one time*". Why 一次 is specified in these examples?** Previously, I had understood the use of 一次 in the second example was required for 又 and 再, however the first example does not have any special structure.

**Tags:** grammar, usage, meaning-in-context, sentence-structure

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I’m not sure about Spanish, but in English the “one time” idea is very common in colloquial language. “I’m going to take a trip to Shanghai”, “I’m going to have a nap”, “I’m going to have a feed”...  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-10. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Grammatically, 次 is a **verbal classifier** (a [classifier proper](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/40174/whats-the-difference-between-classifiers-and-measure-words/40175#40175)), which expresses how many times the action indicated by the verb occurs. The origin of your confusion comes because classifiers are not used in English but they are *natural* in Chinese.

Classifiers (verbal or nominal) must come with a *numeral phrase*. In this sense, the **numeral 一 (one)** might be interpreted here having more a **grammatical function** than a **semantic function** (i.e., it doesn't carry enough meaning to be translated in the target language). Indeed, it is possible to omit the entire numeral phrase 一次 and just say 明年夏天我打算去, provided the place is clear from the context.

As an example, the sentence 我昨天买了一本书 presents a slight ambiguity, right? It could be "Yesterday I bought *a book*" ("one" has grammatical function, translated as indefinite article) or "Yesterday I bought *one book*" ("one" has semantic function, translated as "one"). Though without further context, you should favor the former, because of what I said above.

Finally, whereas the number "one" may or may not be semantically relevant, any other numeral is likely to be so.

As always, check the context:

> 老朱呢？我来叫他**一声** = Where's Lao Zhu at? Let me call him ("one" is grammatical)
>
> 我叫了他**两声**，他还不听 = I called him **twice**, he still doesn't listen ("two" is semantic)
>
> 那本书我不太记得，我只看了**一遍** = I don't quite remember that book, I only read it **once** ("one" is semantic)
>
> 请你来帮我**一下**忙 = please give me a hand ("one" is grammatical)
>
> 我被他骂了**一堆** = He scolded me badly (literally, a pile) (verbal measure word (!), "one" is grammatical)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-11. Score: 0

I think it's not anything but convention here. You can say 我明年还想再去 in Chinese if you don't want to specify one time.

我明年还想再去一次 means I want to go there one more time.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But what is it more normal when you speak in Chinese: to specify 一次 or not?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 It depends on what you want to say.  Both are normal.  If you feel you like the place and you can't visit often because cost, distance, etc but you want to visit it one more time,  you can say 我还要再来一次.  If you feel the place is very nice and you want to visit more times(but not sure how many'), you can say 我还想再来.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-08-12. Score: -1

Why don't you just think of 一次 as 'once' and 再一次 as 'once again'?

三年以前我去过一次上海，  
I went to Shanghai once 3 years ago,  
去年我又去了一次，  
last year I went there once again,  
明年我想再去一次。  
and next year I'm going another time. (didn't want to repeat once again again)

三年前我去过上海**一次**，但是不喜欢。  
Hace tres años me fui **una vez** a Shanghai, pero no me gustó en nada.  
I went to Shanghai **once** 3 years ago, but I didn't like it.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-10. Score: -2

Because we lack of adverb that describes "again". So we have to specifically use "once more" to describe "again". 再一次 function as again.


---

