也 (yě) — also, too

也 (yě)

An adverb meaning "also" or "too." 也 adds the same quality, action, or condition to the subject being talked about. It always comes before the verb or adjective, never at the end of a sentence.

Meanings

1. [adverb] Also, too. Indicates that the subject shares the same attribute or action as something previously mentioned.

也 vs. 都: the key contrast

• 也 applies to each subject individually, one at a time. It says "this person/thing ALSO does X."
• 都 applies to all subjects collectively. It says "ALL of them do X."

也 focuses on adding a subject to a statement. 都 focuses on covering all subjects at once.

Example Sentences

我喜欢咖啡，他也喜欢咖啡。 Wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi, tā yě xǐhuān kāfēi. I like coffee, and he also likes coffee.

她会说汉语，也会说英语。 Tā huì shuō Hànyǔ, yě huì shuō Yīngyǔ. She can speak Chinese, and she can also speak English.

我也不知道。 Wǒ yě bù zhīdào. I don't know either.

这家饭馆的菜很好，价格也不贵。 Zhè jiā fànguǎn de cài hěn hǎo, jiàgé yě bù guì. The food at this restaurant is good, and the price is also not expensive.

Collocations

Memory Hook

也 is about one subject joining a club. "I like X. You also like X." Each sentence focuses on one person at a time. Position is critical: 也 always comes right before the verb, never at the sentence end.