已经…了: already

已经 is “already”. It stands before the verb, and 了 almost always closes the sentence: 他已经走了. “Not yet” is 还没…呢: 他还没走呢. Don't put 已经 after the verb.

Examples

• 他已经走了。 Tā yǐjīng zǒu le. He has already left.
• 天已经黑了。 Tiān yǐjīng hēi le. It's already dark.
• 我已经吃过饭了。 Wǒ yǐjīng chī guo fàn le. I've already eaten.

More in this chapter

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