Expressing "already" with "yijing"

已经……了 (yǐjing... le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. Strictly speaking, the 了 here is not absolutely mandatory, but it's usually there in spoken Chinese, so it's best to think of the 了 as a part of the pattern.

Basic Pattern

已经 with Verb Phrase

Structure

The most common structure is to use 已经……了 with a verb phrase.

已经 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

• 他 已经 走 了 。 (with just a verb)He has already left.
• 宝宝 已经 会 说话 了。(with a verb phrase)The baby can already speak.
• 我 已经 吃 饭 了。I already ate.
• 我 已经 去 过 那里 了。I already went there.
• 我们 已经 做 完 了。We have already finished it.
• 他 已经 回来 了。He already came back.
• 我 已经 上 飞机 了。I have already been on a plane.
• 我 已经 有 男朋友 了 。 I already have a boyfriend.
• 我 已经 知道 这 件 事 了 。 I already know about this matter.
• 我 已经 离开 那 家 公司 了。 I've already left that company.

已经 with Adjective

Structure

Sometimes adjectives or even time nouns are used instead of a typical verb phrase:

已经 + Adj + 了

Examples

• 你 已经 很 漂亮 了。You are already very beautiful.
• 我 已经 很 烦 了。I am already very tired.
• 爸爸 妈妈 已经 老 了。Mom and dad are already old.
• 我们 已经 很 忙 了。We are already very busy.
• 已经 很 便宜 了。It is already very cheap.
• 天 已经 黑 了 。 It is already dark.
• 你 的 感冒 已经 好 了 吗 ？ Is your cold already better?
• 你 已经 很 瘦 了，你 不 能 再 不 吃饭 了 。 You are already really thin, you can't keep not eating.
• 我 已经 饿 了 。I am already hungry.
• 已经 很 晚 了 ， 我们 走 吧 。It's already really late. Let's go.

已经 with Time noun

Structure

已经 + [Time noun] + 了

Examples

• 已经 11点 了，女儿 还 没 回来。It is already 11 o'clock, my daughter has not returned.
• 你 已经 十 五 岁 了。You are already fifteen years old.
• 今天 已经 星期 五 了。Today is already Friday.
• 已经 半 个 小时 了。It has already been half an hour.
• 我 学习 中文 已经 一 年 了。I have already been studying Chinese for a year.
• 他 去 北京 已经 两 天 了。It has already been two days since he went to Beijing.
• 已经 十 分钟 了。It has already been 10 minutes.
• 已经 很 长 时间 了。It has already been a long time.
• 我 的 女儿 已经 两 岁 了 。 (with an age)My daughter is already two years old.
• 已经 一 个 月 了。 (with a time)It has already been a month.

Negative Form

Structure

The negative structure simply adds a 不 after 已经, and before the verb (or possibly adjective).

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

Generally this negative 已经 structure is translated into English as "not... anymore" rather than using the word "already."

• 我 已经 不 认识 他 了。I don't know him anymore.
• 我 已经 不 爱 他 了。I don't love him anymore.
• 他 已经 不 开心 了，别 告诉 他 那 件 事 了。 He is not happy anymore, don't tell him about that thing.
• 你 已经 不 年轻 了。 You're not young anymore.
• 我 已经 不 需要 父母 的 钱 了。 I don't need my parents' money anymore.
• 在 我 心 里，他 已经 不 重要 了。 In my heart, he's no longer important.
• 你 已经 不 在 Google 工作 了 吗？ You don't work at Google anymore?
• 他 已经 不 打算 去 加拿大 旅行 了。 He's no longer planning to travel to Canada.
• 现在 我 已经 不 想 去 了。Now I don't want to go anymore.

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 612) →buy
• 现代汉语虚词例释 (pp. 554) →buy
• New Concept Chinese (新概念汉语　初级本II) (pp. 41)→buy
• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 97) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p.1609) →buy