再び【ふたたび】

再び (ふたたび) is an adverb meaning "again," "once more," or "a second time." It indicates that something happens again after a period of time or after having stopped. It is placed before the verb or phrase it modifies.

再び vs. また

Both ふたたび再び and また can mean "again," but they differ in tone and usage. また is the everyday, casual word for "again" and is common in both spoken and written Japanese. 再び, on the other hand, carries a more formal and literary tone. It often implies a sense of significance or drama – something returning or recurring after an interval or interruption.

Because of its formal nuance, 再び is frequently found in news reports, novels, speeches, and formal writing. In casual conversation, また is almost always preferred.

Common patterns

再び is used with verbs that describe returning to a previous state or resuming an activity:

• 再び始まる – to begin again

  じゅぎょう授業がふたたび再びはじまった始まった。

  Class started again.

• 再び会う – to meet again

  いつかふたたび再びあえる会えるとしんじている信じている。

  I believe we will meet again someday.

It can also appear in the pattern 二度と再び～ない to emphatically express "never again":