Writing
已 (yǐ) — how to say "already" in Chinese
已
Already
time adverb
How to use it
Goes after the subject, before the verb.
他已走了。
tā yǐ zǒu le
He has already left.
Character composition
已
already
Radicals / Keys
己
Oneself
#49 · jǐ · 3 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
已走
yǐ zǒu
already left
已到
yǐ dào
already arrived
已买
yǐ mǎi
already bought
Examples
我已经完成了我的工作。
I have already finished my work.
我已到了。
I have already arrived.
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Frequently asked questions
Already in Chinese meaning
"already" in Chinese is 已 (yǐ).
已 meaning in English
已 (yǐ) means "Already".
Already in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced yǐ (written as yi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "already" in Chinese characters?
It is written 已 and has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 已?
已 is on the HSK 3.0 level 4 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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Grammar with 已
过 — completed action in the past
Verb + 过 (guo) + 了 (le)
已经 — already
已经 (yǐjīng) + Verbal phrase + 了 (le)
当 — when, at the time
当 (dāng) + Time / Event + 的时候 (de shíhou), Main Clause
而已 — that's all
Clause + 而已 (éryǐ)
大概 — probably, most likely
Subj. + 大概 (dàgài) + Verb / Adj.
索性 — might as well just
Subj. + 索性 (suǒxìng) + Verb Phrase