已经……不……了 (now / no longer)

• Pinyin: yǐjīng
• Formation: Subject + 已经 + 不 + Verb / Adj. + 了
• Hanzi breakdown: 已 = a pictograph of a plow, later meaning 'already'; 经 = 纟(silk) + 巠 (underground stream) — 'to pass through'

Meaning

The pattern 已经不……了 (yǐjīng bù...le) means 'already not... anymore' or 'no longer.' It emphasizes that a change has already taken place and the previous situation no longer holds.

This pattern builds on 不……了 by adding 已经 (already) before the negation to stress that the change is complete and established. The speaker treats this shift as a done deal. Compare: 我不喝酒了 ('I'm not drinking anymore' — could be a fresh decision) vs. 我已经不喝酒了 ('I already don't drink anymore' — the change happened some time ago). 已经 can also pair with affirmative verbs plus 了 (e.g., 已经吃了 'already ate'), but in the negative version it always conveys 'no longer.' This is natural in both spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

1. 她已经不住在这里了。 She no longer lives here.
2. 我已经不怕黑了。 I'm no longer afraid of the dark.
3. 他们已经不联系了。 They don't keep in touch anymore.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 我已经不需要你的帮助了。
• 外面已经不下雨了，我们出去走走吧。
• 他已经不在那家公司工作了。

Don't Say

• 我已经不喝了咖啡。(了 must be at the end of the sentence, not after the verb before the object) → 我已经不喝咖啡了。
• 他不已经去学校了。(已经 must come before 不, not after it) → 他已经不去学校了。

Origin & History

The adverb 已经 combines 已 (already, to cease) and 经 (to pass through). Together they reinforce that something has already passed or been completed, lending a sense of finality to the statement.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal