又
or again, furthermore, on the other hand
Readings
On'yomi
- ユウ
Kun'yomi
- また
- また-
- また.の-
Nanori
- やす
Meaning
又 centers on addition or alternation: something happening again, furthermore, or presenting another side of a situation.
Most common words using 又
20 of 34- 又またN5
again; once more; once again; another time; some other time
- 又はまたはN4
or; either ... or ...
- 又とないまたとない
unique; matchless; unparalleled; unparallelled; never again
- 又鬼またぎ
traditional winter hunters in Tōhoku; matagi
- 猫又ねこまた
nekomata; fork-tailed cat yōkai
- 三つ又みつまた
three-pronged; three-way (e.g. outlet, intersection); trifurcated
- 又候またぞろ
(yet) again
- 又ねまたね
bye; see you later
- こりゃ又こりゃまた
oh goodness!; I say!
- ル又るまた
kanji radical 79 at right
- 三又槍魚みつまたやりうお
Pacific blackdragon (Idiacanthus antrostomus)
- 且つ又かつまた
besides; furthermore; moreover
- 勝利又勝利しょうりまたしょうり
victory after victory
- 又とまたと
(never) again
- 又もまたも
(once) again
- 又借りまたがり
borrowing something already borrowed
- 又写しまたうつし
copying again
- 又四郎尺またしろうじゃく
Matashirō shaku (approx. 30.26 cm)
- 又姪まためい
grandniece
- 又家来またげらい
secondary retainer
Study
Etymology
又 is a pictograph of a right hand, originally depicting a hand with fingers. Over time it came to be used abstractly for 'again' or 'furthermore' through grammatical extension.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a hand making a 'come again' gesture, beckoning something to happen once more. The simple two-stroke fork shape is like a hand signaling 'again' or 'on the other hand'.
Reading mnemonic
For ユウ, imagine a hand beckoning you to come again: 'you' -> ユウ, as if the hand is saying 'you, again!'