Skip to content
Chinese Copilot

已经yǐ jīngalready

HSK 2word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

已经 (yǐ jīng) means "already." Use it before a verb or adjective phrase, and often end with 了: 已经 + Verb / Adj. + 了. It marks that something is true by now. It is not the same as English past tense alone; pair it with 了 for a natural "already" line.

What does 已经 mean?

  1. 1.

    alreadyadverb

What do the characters in 已经 mean?

  • 已already
  • 经not compositional here

How do you use 已经?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    已经 + Verb Phrase + 了

    Put 已经 before the verb phrase and usually add 了 at the end to mean the action or state is already true.

已经 usually needs 了 in the same sentence for a natural "already" feel; leaving 了 off can sound incomplete in everyday speech.

Patterns

  • 已经 + Verb + 了

    他们已经走了。

    Tāmen yǐ jīng zǒu le.

    They have already left.

  • 已经 + 很 + Adj. + 了

    已经很晚了。

    Yǐ jīng hěn wǎn le.

    It's already very late.

  • 已经 + 有 + 了

    我已经有了。

    Wǒ yǐ jīng yǒu le.

    I already have (it).

What are some examples of 已经 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 2

    他们已经走了。

    Tāmen yǐjīng zǒu le.

    They have already left.

  2. HSK 1

    我已经有了。

    Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu le.

    I already have (it / one).

  3. HSK 1

    已经很晚了。

    Yǐjīng hěn wǎn le.

    It's already very late.

  4. HSK 1

    他已经知道了。

    Tā yǐjīng zhīdào le.

    He already knows.

How is 已经 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    他们走了吗？

    Tāmen zǒu le ma?

    Have they left?

  2. Speaker B:

    已经走了。

    Yǐjīng zǒu le.

    They've already left.

  3. Speaker A:

    你有书吗？

    Nǐ yǒu shū ma?

    Do you have a book?

  4. Speaker B:

    我已经有了。

    Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu le.

    I already have one.

  5. Speaker A:

    现在晚吗？

    Xiànzài wǎn ma?

    Is it late now?

  6. Speaker B:

    已经很晚了。

    Yǐjīng hěn wǎn le.

    It's already very late.

Can you use 已经 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 他们___走了。
  2. 2.Which sentence means "It's already very late"?
  3. 3.Fill in the blank: 我___有了。

What should you learn next?

Related words

Browse every entry in the Chinese word dictionary.

English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.