Using 也 (also)

也 (yě) means also / too.

Put it after the subject and before the verb. Do not put it at the end.

You already know 和 (hé, and) for joining two nouns, like 我和你 (Wǒ hé nǐ, me and you). 也 is different: it's not a connector between nouns, but an adverb that repeats an action or state for a new subject.

Once you have 也, you can agree with or add onto anything someone else just said, which comes up in almost every conversation.

Structure

Subject + 也 + Verb + Object

我喜欢茶。 Wǒ xǐhuan chá. I like tea. → 我也喜欢茶。 Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá. I also like tea.

Other pre-verb adverbs like 都 (dōu, all/both) sit in the same spot, and can combine with 也 as 也都 ("also all"): 我们也都喜欢学习。 Wǒmen yě dōu xǐhuan xuéxí. We also all like studying.

Examples

我也喜欢茶。 Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá.

Breakdown: 我 (I) · 也 (also) · 喜欢 (like) · 茶 (tea)

→ I also like tea.

我朋友也学习英语。 Wǒ péngyou yě xuéxí Yīngyǔ.

Breakdown: 我朋友 (my friend) · 也 (also) · 学习 (study) · 英语 (English)

→ My friend also studies English.

她也学习中文。 Tā yě xuéxí Zhōngwén.

Breakdown: 她 (she) · 也 (also) · 学习 (study) · 中文 (Chinese)

→ She also studies Chinese.

我们也都喜欢中国菜。 Wǒmen yě dōu xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài.

Breakdown: 我们 (we) · 也 (also) · 都 (all) · 喜欢 (like) · 中国菜 (Chinese food)

→ We also all like Chinese food.

他也工作。 Tā yě gōngzuò.

Breakdown: 他 (he) · 也 (also) · 工作 (work)

→ He also works.

Common Mistakes

Putting 也 at the end

- Incorrect: 我喜欢茶也。 (Wǒ xǐhuan chá yě.) - Correct: 我也喜欢茶。 (Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá.) — I also like tea.

Putting 也 before the subject

- Incorrect: 也我喜欢茶。 (Yě wǒ xǐhuan chá.) - Correct: 我也喜欢茶。 (Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá.) — I also like tea.

What Can You Say Now?

You can now add yourself (or anyone) into an existing statement — 我也是学生 (I am also a student), 他也喝水 (He also drinks water). Try responding the next time someone tells you what they like, adding 我也... to say you like it too.

Quick Summary

Subject + 也 + Verb: 我也喜欢茶。 Wǒ yě xǐhuan chá. = I also like tea.