hái / huán: 还 - Still, Also / To Return, To Give Back

• Keywords: 还, hái, huán, hai pinyin, huan pinyin, hái vs huán, Chinese for still, Chinese for also, Chinese for yet, Chinese for to return, how to use hai in Chinese, Chinese grammar, HSK 1, HSK 2, basic Chinese words
• Summary: The Chinese character 还 is an essential and highly versatile word with two primary pronunciations and meanings: hái and huán. As hái, it's one of the most common adverbs, meaning “still,” “also,” or “yet,” used to show continuation or addition. As huán, it's a verb meaning “to return” or “to give back,” crucial for everything from returning a library book to repaying a debt. Understanding the difference between hái and huán is a fundamental step for any beginner learning practical, everyday Mandarin Chinese.

Two distinct pronunciations create two different words from this single character.

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1. hái (Adverb)

• Pinyin (with tone marks): hái
• Part of Speech: Adverb
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: “Still,” “also,” “in addition,” “yet,” or “even more.”
• In a Nutshell: Think of hái as a word that adds information or shows that something is ongoing. It's the “and what's more…” particle of Chinese. If a state is continuing, you use hái (“I'm still eating”). If you want to add something to your order, you use hái (“I want coffee, and also tea”). It's a flexible adverb that expresses continuation and addition.

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2. huán (Verb)

• Pinyin (with tone marks): huán
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: “To return,” “to give back,” “to repay.”
• In a Nutshell: Huán is all about the action of returning something to its owner or original place. This can be a physical item you borrowed (like a book or an umbrella) or something intangible (like money or a favor). It signifies completing the cycle of borrowing or taking. If you `借 (jiè)` - borrow something, you must `还 (huán)` - return it.

• The character 还 is a phono-semantic compound character.
• 辶 (chuò): This is the “walk” radical. It is found on the left and bottom of characters and signifies movement, travel, or a path. This is the semantic (meaning) component.
• The rest of the character (originally 睘): This is the phonetic (sound) component, providing the sound “huán”.
• The combination is intuitive: the “walk” radical 辶 suggests movement, which directly relates to the action of “returning” something (`huán`). This idea of movement can also be seen metaphorically as the “continuation” or “progression” of a state or action, which is the core of `hái` (still, also).

The verb `huán` (to return) is deeply embedded in Chinese cultural values, particularly those related to social harmony and interpersonal obligations. While in the West, “paying someone back” is important, the concept of `huán` in China is more tightly woven into the fabric of 关系 (guānxi - relationships) and 面子 (miànzi - “face”/social standing).

• Reciprocity and Obligation: Chinese society places a high value on reciprocity. If someone gives you a gift or does you a favor (人情 rénqíng), there's a strong, often unspoken, social obligation to `还` (huán) that favor in the future. It's not just a transaction; it's the maintenance of a balanced and respectful relationship.
• Trust and Reputation: Failing to `huán` a debt—whether money or a favor—is a serious social transgression. It can cause someone to lose “face” (丢面子, diū miànzi) and be seen as untrustworthy, damaging their reputation and relationships far more profoundly than a simple overdue payment in the West. The act of `huán`-ing demonstrates responsibility and respect for the other person and the social harmony between you.

The adverb `hái` doesn't carry the same cultural weight, but its frequent use reflects a linguistic tendency to connect ideas and show continuity.

`hái` is incredibly common in daily conversation. Its meaning is determined by context.

• To mean “still” (ongoing action/state):
  • “已经晚上十点了，你怎么还在工作？” (Yǐjīng wǎnshàng shí diǎn le, nǐ zěnme hái zài gōngzuò?) - “It's already 10 PM, why are you still working?”
• To mean “also” or “in addition” (adding something new):
  • “我要一杯咖啡，还要一个蛋糕。” (Wǒ yào yībēi kāfēi, hái yào yīgè dàngāo.) - “I want a cup of coffee, and I also want a piece of cake.”
• To mean “fairly” or “passably” (in the phrase 还好 hái hǎo or 还行 hái xíng):
  • A: “这部电影怎么样？” (Zhè bù diànyǐng zěnmeyàng?) - “How was this movie?”
  • B: “还好，可以看看。” (Hái hǎo, kěyǐ kànkan.) - “It was alright, worth a watch.”
• To express “even more” (for comparison):
  • “哥哥很高，但是爸爸还高。” (Gēge hěn gāo, dànshì bàba hái gāo.) - “My older brother is tall, but Dad is even taller.”

`huán` is a straightforward verb used for returning things.

• Returning an object:
  • “我明天去图书馆还书。” (Wǒ míngtiān qù túshūguǎn huán shū.) - “I'm going to the library tomorrow to return books.”
• Repaying money:
  • “你什么时候还我钱？” (Nǐ shénme shíhou huán wǒ qián?) - “When are you going to repay me the money?”

• Example 1 (hái - still):
  • 他都三十岁了，还跟父母住在一起。
  • Pinyin: Tā dōu sānshí suì le, hái gēn fùmǔ zhù zài yīqǐ.
  • English: He's already 30 years old, and he still lives with his parents.
  • Analysis: `hái` emphasizes that the state of “living with parents” is continuing, perhaps unexpectedly given his age.
• Example 2 (hái - also/in addition):
  • 除了说中文，他还会说法语和日语。
  • Pinyin: Chúle shuō Zhōngwén, tā hái huì shuō Fǎyǔ hé Rìyǔ.
  • English: Besides speaking Chinese, he can also speak French and Japanese.
  • Analysis: `hái` is used here to add more items (French and Japanese) to the list of languages he can speak.
• Example 3 (huán - to return an object):
  • 这把伞是你的吗？我要还给你。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bǎ sǎn shì nǐ de ma? Wǒ yào huán gěi nǐ.
  • English: Is this umbrella yours? I want to return it to you.
  • Analysis: A clear, simple use of `huán` as a verb. The action is “to return,” and the object is “the umbrella.”
• Example 4 (huán - to repay money):
  • 他下个月发了工资就会还钱。
  • Pinyin: Tā xià ge yuè fāle gōngzī jiù huì huán qián.
  • English: He will repay the money next month after he gets his salary.
  • Analysis: `huán qián` (return money) is a very common and fixed phrase for repaying a debt.
• Example 5 (hái hǎo - alright/so-so):
  • A: 你考得怎么样？ (Nǐ kǎo de zěnmeyàng?) - How did you do on the test?
  • B: 还好，应该能及格。( Hái hǎo, yīnggāi néng jígé.) - Alright, I should be able to pass.
  • Analysis: `hái hǎo` is a hugely popular phrase to express that something is “okay,” “not bad,” or “passable.” It's a neutral-to-slightly-positive response.
• Example 6 (hái - yet, in a negative sentence):
  • 我还没做完作业。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ hái méi zuò wán zuòyè.
  • English: I haven't finished my homework yet.
  • Analysis: In the structure `还 + 没 (hái méi)`, it means “not yet.” It implies the action is expected to be completed in the future.
• Example 7 (hái - even more):
  • 我觉得坐火车比坐飞机还方便。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juéde zuò huǒchē bǐ zuò fēijī hái fāngbiàn.
  • English: I think taking the train is even more convenient than taking the plane.
  • Analysis: When used with `比 (bǐ)` for comparison, `hái` adds emphasis, meaning “even more…”
• Example 8 (huán - to fight back/retaliate):
  • 他打你，你为什么不还手？
  • Pinyin: Tā dǎ nǐ, nǐ wèishéme bù huán shǒu?
  • English: He hit you, why didn't you fight back (lit. return a hand)?
  • Analysis: `huán` can be used in other contexts besides returning objects. `还手 (huánshǒu)` and `还口 (huánkǒu)` mean to physically fight back and to talk back, respectively.
• Example 9 (hái - expressing a mild complaint or surprise):
  • 你还真有意思，这种事也做得出来。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ hái zhēn yǒuyìsi, zhè zhǒng shì yě zuò de chūlái.
  • English: You're really something else, to be able to do something like this.
  • Analysis: Here, `hái` adds a tone of surprise, slight disbelief, or mild sarcasm. The meaning is highly dependent on intonation.
• Example 10 (huán - returning to a state):
  • 经过治疗，他的身体还原了健康。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò zhìliáo, tā de shēntǐ huányuán le jiànkāng.
  • English: After treatment, his body was restored to health.
  • Analysis: `还原 (huányuán)` means “to restore to the original state.” This is a more abstract use of `huán`'s core meaning of “return.”

1. Pronunciation is Everything: The most critical mistake is mixing up the pronunciations. If you want to say “I'm still eating” and you say `Wǒ huán zài chīfàn`, it's grammatically wrong and confusing. Remember: `hái` is the adverb (still/also), `huán` is the verb (to return). 2. `hái` (还) vs. `yě` (也): This is a classic beginner's hurdle.

• `也 (yě)` means “also” or “too,” and it links two different subjects doing a similar thing.
  • 我喜欢咖啡，他也喜欢咖啡。 (Wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi, tā yě xǐhuān kāfēi.) - I like coffee, he also likes coffee.
• `还 (hái)` means “also” or “in addition,” and it usually adds a new action or item for the same subject.
  • 我喜欢咖啡，还喜欢茶。 (Wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi, hái xǐhuān chá.) - I like coffee, and I also like tea.

3. Word Order for `hái`: As an adverb, `hái` must be placed before the verb it modifies.

• Correct: 我 还 想吃米饭。(Wǒ hái xiǎng chī mǐfàn.) - I also want to eat rice.
• Incorrect: 我想吃米饭 还。(Wǒ xiǎng chī mǐfàn hái.)

4. `huán` (还) vs. `huí` (回): Both can mean “return,” but they are not interchangeable.

• `回 (huí)` means to return to a place of origin, like one's home or country. The subject is the one moving.
  • 我明天回家。 (Wǒ míngtiān huí jiā.) - I'm returning home tomorrow.
• `还 (huán)` means to return an object to someone or some place. It requires an object.
  • 我明天还书。 (Wǒ míngtiān huán shū.) - I'm returning the book tomorrow.
• Incorrect: 我明天还家。(Wǒ míngtiān huán jiā.)

• `也` (yě) - The other common word for “also,” used to show that a different subject does the same thing.
• `还好` (hái hǎo) / `还行` (hái xíng) - Extremely common set phrases meaning “It's okay,” “so-so,” “not bad.”
• `仍然` (réngrán) - A more formal, literary synonym for `hái` (still).
• `归还` (guīhuán) - A more formal verb for “to return,” “to give back.” Often used in official or written contexts.
• `借` (jiè) - “To borrow” or “to lend.” This is the action that necessitates a future `huán`.
• `欠` (qiàn) - “To owe.” What you `欠` (owe), you must eventually `还` (repay).
• `回家` (huí jiā) - “To return home.” A common point of confusion for learners distinguishing `huán` from `huí`.
• `然后` (rán hòu) - “Then,” “after that.” A conjunction for sequencing actions, sometimes confused by beginners with `hái`'s additive meaning.