再 (zài) is a Chinese character meaning “again”. It is written from 一 (one) and 冉 (slowly, gradually (as in 冉冉); a surname), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “again”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 冉
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: Unicode U+518D 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形核验（第 1 笔为短横，第 2–6 笔与「冉」五笔形状一致）；仅描述现代字形，不是历史构形
Memory aid
One (一) short line sits on top of 冉. You have done it one time already — now do it 再 one more time.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 再见zài jiàngoodbye; see you again再 = zàiHSK 1
Go deeper
All readings
again
again; once more; a second time (usually of an action that has not happened yet)
又一次；表示重复或继续，多用于还没发生的动作。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 再见zài jiàngoodbye; see you again再 = zàiHSK 1
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 再 mean?
再 (zài) means again; once more; a second time (usually of an action that has not happened yet).
How do you pronounce 再?
It is pronounced zài.
What parts is 再 made of?
一 (one) and 冉 (slowly, gradually (as in 冉冉); a surname), one above the other. The recorded source is: Unicode U+518D 与 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 现代字形核验（第 1 笔为短横，第 2–6 笔与「冉」五笔形状一致）；仅描述现代字形，不是历史构形. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 再 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 再?
冂. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 再?
Common ones are 再见. The reading of 再 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.