已经...了 (already)

• Pinyin: yǐjīng
• Formation: Subject + 已经 + Verb Phrase + 了
• Hanzi breakdown: 已 = pictograph of a completed mark; 经 = 纟(silk) + 巠 (underground stream)

Meaning

The adverb 已经 (yǐjīng) means 'already' and is used before the verb to indicate that an action or state has been completed or reached. It is typically paired with 了 at the end of the sentence.

已经...了 emphasizes that something has happened earlier than expected or that a state has been reached. The 了 at the end is essential — dropping it makes the sentence sound incomplete in most cases. 已经 can also be used with adjectives to express that a state has been reached: 天已经黑了 (it's already dark). In negative form, 还没(有) replaces 已经...了: instead of saying 我已经不吃了, say 我还没吃 for 'I haven't eaten yet.' Learners should note that 已经 always comes before the verb, never after it. It pairs naturally with time expressions: 他已经来了两个小时了 (he's been here for two hours already).

Examples

1. 我已经吃过午饭了。 I have already eaten lunch.
2. 电影已经开始了。 The movie has already started.
3. 她已经学了三年中文了。 She has already been studying Chinese for three years.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 他已经到机场了。
• 天已经黑了，我们回家吧。
• 作业我已经做完了。

Don't Say

• 我吃过午饭已经了。(已经 must come before the verb, not after — it is an adverb that precedes the verb phrase) → 我已经吃过午饭了。
• 我已经没去过那里。(Use 还没有 instead of 已经没 for 'not yet' — 已经 is affirmative and does not combine with 没) → 我还没有去过那里。

Origin & History

The character 已 means 'already' or 'to cease' and dates back to classical Chinese. 经 means 'to pass through.' Together, 已经 literally suggests something has already passed through or been experienced, reinforcing the sense of prior completion.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal