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

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* 你 的 感冒 <em>已经</em> 好 <em>了</em> 吗 ?  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ de gǎnmào <em>yǐjīng</em> hǎo <em>le</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">Is your cold already better?</span>
 
* 你 的 感冒 <em>已经</em> 好 <em>了</em> 吗 ?  <span class="pinyin">Nǐ de gǎnmào <em>yǐjīng</em> hǎo <em>le</em> ma?</span><span class="trans">Is your cold already better?</span>
 
* <em>已经</em> 很 晚 <em>了</em>,我们 走 吧。<span class="pinyin"><Em>Yǐjīng</em> hěn wǎn <em>le</em>, wǒmen zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">It's already really late. Let's go.</span>
 
* <em>已经</em> 很 晚 <em>了</em>,我们 走 吧。<span class="pinyin"><Em>Yǐjīng</em> hěn wǎn <em>le</em>, wǒmen zǒu ba.</span><span class="trans">It's already really late. Let's go.</span>
* 你 女朋友 <em>已经</em> 很 漂亮 <em>了</em>,你 还 不 满意? <span class="pinyin"> Nǐ nǚpéngyǒu <em>yǐjīng</em> hěn piàoliang <em>le</em>, nǐ hái bù mǎnyì?</span><span class="trans">Your girlfriend is already very beautiful. Are you still unsatisfied?</span>
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* 你女朋友 <em>已经</em> 很 漂亮 <em>了</em>,你 还 不 满意? <span class="pinyin"> Nǐnǚpéngyǒu <em>yǐjīng</em> hěn piàoliang <em>le</em>, nǐ hái bù mǎnyì?</span><span class="trans">Your girlfriend is already very beautiful. Are you still not satisfied?</span>
 
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Revision as of 01:43, 6 November 2015

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

Basic Pattern

已经 with Verb Phrase

Structure

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

已经 + Verb / Verb Phrase + 了

Examples

  • 他们 已经(with just a verb)Tāmen yǐjīng zǒu le.They've already left.
  • 已经 有 男朋友 yǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le.I already have a boyfriend.
  • 宝宝 已经 会 说话 (with a verb phrase)Bǎobǎo yǐjīng huì shuōhuà le.The baby can already speak.
  • 妈妈 已经 回来 Māma yǐjīng huílái le.Mom already came back.
  • 已经 上 飞机 yǐjīng shàng fēijī le.He's already gotten on the plane.

已经 with Adjective

Structure

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

已经 + (很)Adj. + 了

Examples

  • 爸爸 妈妈 已经Bàba māmā yǐjīng lǎo le.Mom and dad are already old.
  • 已经 很 便宜 Yǐjīng hěn piányí le.It is already very cheap.
  • 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.
  • 你女朋友 已经 很 漂亮 ,你 还 不 满意? Nǐnǚpéngyǒu yǐjīng hěn piàoliang le, nǐ hái bù mǎnyì?Your girlfriend is already very beautiful. Are you still not satisfied?

已经 with Time noun

Structure

已经 + Time Noun + 了

Examples

  • 已经 11点 了,女儿 还 没 回来。Yǐjīng shíyī diǎn le, nǚ'ér hái méi huílái.It is already 11 o'clock, my daughter has not returned.
  • 爷爷 已经 八十 五 岁 了。yǐjīng bāshí wǔ suì le.He is already fifteen years old.
  • 我 学习 中文 已经 一 年 了。Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén yǐjīng yī nián le.I have already been studying Chinese for a year.
  • 爸爸 去 北京 出差 已经 两 天 了。Bàba qù Běijīng chūchāi yǐjīng liǎng tiān le.It has already been two days since dad went to Beijing on business trip.
  • 他 在 洗手间 里 已经 半 个 小时 了。 Tā zài xǐshǒujiān lǐ yǐjīng bàn ge xiǎoshí le.It has already been half an hour since he went to the bathroom.

Negative Form

Structure

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

已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

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

  • 已经 不 认识 他 yǐjīng bù rènshi tā le.I don't know him anymore.
  • 已经 不 爱 他老婆 yǐjīng bù ài tālǎopo le.He doesn't love his wife anymore.
  • 他们 已经 不 住 在 家里 Tāmen yǐjīng bù zhù zài jiālǐ le.You're not young anymore.
  • 已经 不 需要 父母 的 钱 yǐjīng bù xūyào fùmǔ de qián le.I don't need my parents' money anymore.
  • 已经 不 在 Google 工作 吗? yǐjīng bùzài Google gōngzuò le ma?You don't work at Google anymore?

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries