Introduction
已经 (yǐjīng) means "already", and it almost always travels with 了 (le) at the end of the sentence. 我已经吃了。(Wǒ yǐjīng chī le.) — I've already eaten. The 已经 sets the expectation; the 了 confirms the change has happened.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + 已经 (yǐjīng) + [Verb Phrase] + 了 (le)
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 已经 + V + 了 | 我已经吃了。(Wǒ yǐjīng chī le.) | I've already eaten. |
| 已经 + V + O + 了 | 他已经走了。(Tā yǐjīng zǒu le.) | He's already left. |
| 已经 + Number + 了 | 已经三点了。(Yǐjīng sān diǎn le.) | It's three o'clock already. |
| 已经不 + V + 了 | 我已经不喝咖啡了。(Wǒ yǐjīng bù hē kāfēi le.) | I don't drink coffee any more. |
| 还没 + V（the opposite） | 我还没吃。(Wǒ hái méi chī.) | I haven't eaten yet. |
已经……了 (yǐjīng … le) and 还没 (hái méi) are the two halves of one question:
- 你吃了吗？(Nǐ chī le ma?) — Have you eaten?
- 我已经吃了。(Wǒ yǐjīng chī le.) — I already have. ／ 我还没吃。(Wǒ hái méi chī.) — Not yet.
- The negative of 已经 is never 不已经 (bù yǐjīng). Use 还没 (hái méi) instead.
- 已经不……了 (yǐjīng bù … le) is different again: it says a habit has stopped — 我已经不抽烟了。(Wǒ yǐjīng bù chōuyān le.) — I don't smoke any more.
Examples
我已经吃了。
Wǒ yǐjīng chī le.
I've already eaten.
他已经走了。
Tā yǐjīng zǒu le.
He's already left.
已经十点了，快睡吧。
Yǐjīng shí diǎn le, kuài shuì ba.
It's ten already, off to bed.
我已经学了三年中文了。
Wǒ yǐjīng xué le sān nián Zhōngwén le.
I've been learning Chinese for three years now.
我已经不喝咖啡了。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù hē kāfēi le.
I don't drink coffee any more.
电影已经开始了吗？
Diànyǐng yǐjīng kāishǐ le ma?
Has the film started already?
Usage Notes
- 已经 (yǐjīng) goes after the subject and before the verb, like every adverb: ✓ 我已经吃了 (wǒ yǐjīng chī le) ❌ 已经我吃了 (yǐjīng wǒ chī le).
- Dropping 了 (le) sounds unfinished. Keep the pair unless a time phrase already closes the sentence.
- With a number or a time, no verb is needed at all: 已经三点了。(Yǐjīng sān diǎn le.)
- 都……了 (dōu … le) says the same thing with a note of impatience: 都三点了！(Dōu sān diǎn le!) — It's three o'clock already!
- 已经 (yǐjīng) looks back at what has happened; 快要……了 (kuài yào … le) looks forward at what is about to. They are mirror images.