Kilo Lingo

(bú zài) - no longer, not anymore in Mandarin

zài

Traditional: 不再

Line drawing of 不再
Coloured illustration of 不再
HSK 4
#605 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

no longer, not anymore

Word origin

A two-character expression: 不 'not' plus 再 'again, once more' (a graph traditionally read as a stack of objects, suggesting repetition). Together 不再 means 'no longer' or 'not anymore'.

Origin
compound
Root
不 (not) + 再 (again)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 不

Stroke order for 再

Examples

I no longer believe him.

She is not crying anymore.

I decided I will wait no longer.

He does not love me any more.

I no longer believe what he says.

不再 (bú zài) means no longer or not anymore. 不 is the negation marker and 再 means again or once more, so 不再 literally means not again. It is placed before a verb to negate continued or repeated action: 不再相信 (no longer believe), 不再回来 (will not come back again). Similar phrases: 再也不 (zài yě bù) and 不再...了 both convey cessation. 不再 is slightly more formal or literary while 再也不 is more colloquial and emphatic.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 13.