已经/已經

已经/已經

yǐjīng

adverb

Explanations

Yǐjīng 已经/已經 ‘already’ is a time adverb used to express that an action or state has already occurred, has been completed or has been true/was already the case before the moment of speaking or before another reference time. It emphasizes temporal precedence and often appears with aspect markers such as le 了, guò 过/過, or verbs implying completion.

Structure

Basic form

Yǐjīng 已经/已經 appears before the main verb or verb phrase. Sentences often include an aspect particle such as guò 过/過 or final perfective aspect particle le 了 to show completion of the action.

With nouns/noun phrases

Yǐjīng 已经/已經 can also directly modify expressions relating to time, age, or season expressions. In these cases, sentences typically end with le 了 (了2) to mark the current/new state.

Questions

Questions with yǐjīng 已经/已經 ‘already’ are typically formed by adding ma 吗/嗎 at the end of the sentence or by placing shì bú shì 是不是 in front of yǐjīng 已经/已經. In questions, yǐjīng 已经/已經 often appears together with le 了 or guò 过/過 when the meaning involves completion or experience.

Functions

1. Indicating completed past events

Yǐjīng 已经/已經 shows that an action has already happened or that a state is already the case.

In some sentences, yǐjīng 已经/已經 appears with a completed verb and a measure phrase (for example, duration, quantity, or number) plus a final le 了. The measure phrase and the final le 了 show how long, how much, or how many has been reached by now.

2. Marking a new state ‘now‘ (change or update)

With the use of yǐjīng 已经/已經 and le 了, the sentence states that the situation has already been the case by now (often with time/age/season). It also emphasizes that the quantity is large or that the time is late or long.