Intro To Forums and Grammar Question

[Nathan]

Hey all, long time listener first time caller.

My name is Nathan,

I've been living in Beijing for about 9 months and I'm enrolled in Tsinghua's Chinese Language program. I'm currently on my second semester, and I'm in class 102 (while most of my previous classmates in 101 moved onto 201 or 202). Life is fun here in China but I think it'd be a lot more fun if my Chinese improved exponentially. So here I am, on the old forums that I used to browse over, actually getting into the thick of it.

Anyways, to my question: How the hell do you use "还" properly? It's baffled me for quite some time, and no one I have asked have ever given me a good translation or a lesson on how to use it.

Thanks for the help!

[monto]

还:

1)还: (huan2) --- to return ----- this is easy

2)i还:(hai2)

i)

meaning "too" "also" ----- but the subject should the same

For examples:

我读书，我还看报 —— I read books, I also read newspapers (I read newspapers too).

But not:

你读书，我还读书 ------ It should be 你读书，我也读书 then.

ii) 还 is also often used after 除了。。。之外，or 此外、另外。（ in additon to ..., besides)

For example

除了这种情况之外，还有一种情况。

iii) to mean "still" ------ some action have happened ang still happening, or continues.

For example

都这么晚了，你还在看书呢？ It's so late and you are still reading the book?

iv) In negative sentence, to mean "yet"

For example:

你吃了么？

我还没呢。