Difference between revisions of "Expressing "already" with "yijing""

m (Text replacement - "……" to "⋯⋯")
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
已经……了 (yǐjīng…… le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. It's easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but remembering to add it in will make your Chinese seem more natural.
+
已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng⋯⋯ le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. It's easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but remembering to add it in will make your Chinese seem more natural.
  
 
== Basic Pattern ==
 
== Basic Pattern ==
Line 9: Line 9:
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
  
The most common structure is to use 已经……了 (yǐjīng…… le) with a verb phrase.
+
The most common structure is to use 已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng⋯⋯ le) with a verb phrase.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Line 89: Line 89:
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
  
Generally this negative 已经 (yǐjīng) structure is translated into English as "not…… anymore" rather than using the word "already."
+
Generally this negative 已经 (yǐjīng) structure is translated into English as "not⋯⋯ anymore" rather than using the word "already."
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
Line 115: Line 115:
 
{{Similar|Expressing "already" with just "le"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing "already" with just "le"}}
 
{{Similar|"Already" with "dou… le"}}
 
{{Similar|"Already" with "dou… le"}}
{{Basic Grammar|已经|A2|已经……了|他 <em>已经</em> 走 <em>了</em>。|grammar point|ASGNXI27}}
+
{{Basic Grammar|已经|A2|已经⋯⋯了|他 <em>已经</em> 走 <em>了</em>。|grammar point|ASGNXI27}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}
 
{{Rel char|了}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing}}
 
{{Used for|Emphasizing}}
 
{{Translation|already}}
 
{{Translation|already}}

Revision as of 09:14, 20 October 2016

已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng⋯⋯ le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. It's easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but remembering to add it in will make your Chinese seem more natural.

Basic Pattern

已经 with Verb Phrase

Structure

The most common structure is to use 已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng⋯⋯ le) with a verb phrase.

已经 + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

  • 他们 已经with just a verbTāmen yǐjīng zǒu le. They've already left.
  • 已经 有 男朋友 with a verb phraseyǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le. I already have a boyfriend.
  • 宝宝 已经 会 说话 with a verb phraseBǎobao yǐjīng huì shuōhuà le. The baby can already speak.
  • 妈妈 已经 回来 with just a verbMāma yǐjīng huílái le. Mom has already come back.
  • 已经 上 飞机 with a verb phraseyǐjīng shàng fēijī le. He's already gotten on the plane.

已经 with Adjective

Structure

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

已经 + (很 +) Adj. + 了

Examples

  • 爸爸 妈妈 已经Bàba māma yǐjīng lǎo le.Mom and dad are already old.
  • 已经 很 便宜 Yǐjīng hěn piányi le.It is already very cheap.
  • 你女朋友 已经 很 漂亮 Nǐ nǚpéngyou yǐjīng hěn piàoliang le! Your girlfriend is already very beautiful!
  • 你 的 感冒 已经 吗 ? Nǐ de gǎnmào yǐjīng hǎo le ma?Is your cold already better?
  • 已经 很 晚 ,我们 走 吧。Yǐjīng hěn wǎn le, wǒmen zǒu ba.It's already really late. Let's go.

已经 with Time noun

Structure

已经 + Time Noun + 了

Examples

  • 已经 11点 ,女儿 还 没 回来 。Yǐjīng shíyī diǎn le, nǚ'ér hái méi huílái. It is already 11 o'clock, and my daughter has not returned.
  • 爷爷 已经 八十五 岁 Yéye yǐjīng bāshí-wǔ suì le. Grandpa is already eighty-five years old.
  • 我 学习 中文 已经 一 年 Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén yǐjīng yī nián le. I have already been studying Chinese for a year.
  • 他 在 洗手间 里 已经 半 个 小时 Tā zài xǐshǒujiān lǐ yǐjīng bàn ge xiǎoshí le. He has already been in the bathroom for half an hour.
  • 爸爸 去 北京 出差 已经 两 天 Bàba qù Běijīng chūchāi yǐjīng liǎng tiān le. It has already been two days since dad went to Beijing on business trip.

Negative Form

Structure

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

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

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

  • 已经 喜欢 你 yǐjīng xǐhuan nǐ le. I don't like you anymore.
  • 已经 爱 他 的 猫 yǐjīng ài tā de māo le. He doesn't love his cat anymore.
  • 他们 已经 住 在 中国 Tāmen yǐjīng zhù zài Zhōngguó le. They don't live in China anymore.
  • 已经 需要 父母 的 钱 yǐjīng xūyào fùmǔ de qián le. I don't need my parents' money anymore.
  • 已经 在 Google 工作 吗? yǐjīng zài Google gōngzuò le ma? You don't work at Google anymore?

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries