又 means “again, also, or”

また · mata

Also: or again, furthermore, on the other hand

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

また, またの-

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ユウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 2 strokes

The story

A right hand, drawn with three fingers: the old picture behind 又, still the hand in 友 and 取. It became また, "again, also"; that is usually written in kana today, but 又は, "or", keeps the kanji in laws and on official forms.

Used in 又は (matawa, or), 又貸し (matagashi, subletting), and 又聞き (matagiki, hearsay)

More from Formal Words

• 甚 extremely
• 但 however
• 且 moreover
• 僅 only
• 及 reach
• 故 cause
• 為 do
• 致 bring about
• 是 right
• 須 must
• 殊 especially
• 尚 still

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.