Say “again” with また

Mental Model: Cyclical Reconnection

The adverb また signifies a cyclical return to an action, state, or event that has already occurred in the past. It translates naturally as “again”, “once more”, or “also”.

Syntactically, また functions as an adverb that places itself directly in front of the verb phrase with no particles:

• また来ます(またきます) (mata kimasu): “I will come again.”
• また会いましょう(またあいましょう) (mata aimashou): “Let's meet again!”
• また日本に行きたいです(またにほんにいきたいです): “I want to go to Japan again.”
• また後で電話します(またあとででんわします): “I will call again later.”

Because また is an adverb, never attach case particles to it: saying *またに来ます or *またで行きます is ungrammatical.

The Warm Farewell System

Japanese goodbyes frequently drop the final verb (会いましょう) and use また as a warm, positive promise of future reconnection:

• また明日(またあした) (mata ashita): “See you tomorrow!”
• また来週(またらいしゅう) (mata raishuu): “See you next week!”
• また後で(またあとで) (mata ato de): “See you later!”
• また今度(またこんど) (mata kondo): “See you next time!”
• またね (mata ne): Casual “See ya!” / “Bye for now!” (with conversational sentence-ender ね).

In everyday social life with friends, classmates, and coworkers, these また-based farewells sound vastly warmer and more natural than the textbook staple さようなら, which native speakers often perceive as a final, permanent goodbye (like “farewell forever”).

The Second Meaning: “Additionally / Furthermore”

At the beginning of a sentence—especially in essays, news articles, and formal speeches—また、〜 acts as a transitional conjunction meaning “also” or “furthermore”:

• また、次の点も大切です(また、つぎのてんもたいせつです): “Furthermore, the following point is also important.”

The Exasperated Nuance: また？！

When delivered with a rising pitch or exclamation among friends, また can express humorous or exasperated surprise at a repeating annoyance:

• また遅刻？(またちこく？): “Late again?!”
• また雨？(またあめ？): “Rain again?!”