仍

• Pinyin: réng
• Hanzi breakdown: 仍 = 亻(person) + 乃 (phonetic) — to continue, to remain as before

Meaning

Still; yet. Indicates that a state or action continues without change.

A formal adverb meaning still or as before, indicating that something remains unchanged. More literary and concise than 仍然 or 还是. Most commonly found in written Chinese, news reports, and formal speech. Rarely used alone in casual conversation where 还 or 仍然 would be preferred.

Examples

1. 虽然下雨了，比赛仍在进行。 Although it rained, the match is still going on.
2. 过了这么多年，这条街仍没有变。 After so many years, this street still hasn't changed.
3. 问题仍存在，需要继续讨论。 The problem still exists and needs further discussion.

Usage Guide

Context: written Chinese, news, formal speech

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 经济形势仍不乐观。(The economic situation is still not optimistic.)
• 他仍坚持自己的看法。(He still insists on his own view.)

Don't Say

• 我仍饿。(Too abrupt in casual speech — say 我还饿 or 我仍然很饿. 仍 alone sounds very literary and needs a fuller sentence structure.)

Origin & History

An ancient character combining 亻(person) and 乃 (a phonetic element). The original meaning was to follow or continue, evolving to mean still or as before.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal