Expressing "already" with "yǐjīng... le" "已经⋯⋯了"
已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng... le) is the basic pattern used to express "already" in Chinese. It's easy to forget the 了 (le) on the end, but using it will make your Chinese more natural.
Basic Usages
已经 (yǐjīng) with Verb Phrases
Structure
The most common structure is to use 已经⋯⋯了 (yǐjīng... le) with a verb phrase.
已经 + Verb / [Verb Phrase] + 了
Examples
- 他们 已经 走 了。
with just a verb
Tāmen yǐjīng zǒu le
They've already left.
- 我 已经 有 男朋友 了 。
with a verb phrase
Wǒ yǐjīng yǒu nánpéngyou le
I already have a boyfriend.
- 宝宝 已经 会 说话 了
with a verb phrase
Bǎobao yǐjīng huì shuōhuà le
The baby can already speak.
- 妈妈 已经 回来 了
with just a verb
Māma yǐjīng huílái le
Mom has already come back.
- 他 已经 上 飞机 了
with a verb phrase
Tā yǐjīng shàng fēijī le
He's already gotten on the plane.
已经 (yǐjīng) with Adjectives
Structure
Sometimes an adjective or a time noun is used instead of a typical verb phrase:
Examples
- 爸爸 妈妈 已经 老 了。
Bàba māma yǐjīng lǎo le
Mom and dad are already old.
- 已经 很 便宜 了。
Yǐjīng hěn piányi le
It is already very cheap.
- 你 女朋友 已经 很 漂亮 了
Nǐ nǚpéngyou yǐjīng hěn piàoliang le
Your girlfriend is already very beautiful!
- 你 的 感冒 已经 好 了 吗 ？
Nǐ de gǎnmào yǐjīng hǎo le ma?
Is your cold already better?
- 已经 很 晚 了，我们 走 吧。
Yǐjīng hěn wǎn le wǒmen zǒu ba.
It's already really late. Let's go.
已经 (yǐjīng) with Time Nouns
A "time noun" simply refers to almost any word in Chinese indicating a time something happened.
Structure
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, and my daughter has not returned.
- 爷爷 已经 八十五 岁 了 。
Yéye yǐjīng bāshí-wǔ suì le
Grandpa is already eighty-five 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.
- 他 在 洗手间 里 已经 半 个 小时 了 。
Tā zài xǐshǒujiān lǐ yǐjīng bàn gè xiǎoshí le
He has already been in the bathroom for half an hour.
- 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.
Structure
The negative structure simply adds a 不 (bù) after 已经 (yǐjīng), and before the verb (or possibly adjective).
已经 + 不 + [Verb Phrase] / Adj. + 了
Examples
Generally this negative 已经 (yǐjīng) structure is translated into English as "not... anymore" rather than using the word "already."
- 我 已经 不 喜欢 你 了。
Wǒ yǐjīng bù xǐhuan nǐ le.
I don't like you anymore.
- 他 已经 不 爱 他 的 猫 了。
Tā yǐjīng bù ài tā de māo le
He doesn't love his cat anymore.
- 他们 已经 不 住 在 中国 了
Tāmen yǐjīng bù zhù zài Zhōngguó le
They don't live in China anymore.
- 我 已经 不 需要 父母 的 钱 了
Wǒ yǐjīng bù xūyào fùmǔ de qián le.
I don't need my parents' money anymore.
- 你 已经 不 在 Google 工作 了 吗？
Nǐ yǐjīng bù zài Google gōngzuò le ma?
You don't work at Google anymore?
Sources and further reading
Books
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 612)
- 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 554)
- New Concept Chinese (新概念汉语 初级本II) (p. 41)
- Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 97)
Dictionaries