Writing
早已 (zǎo yǐ) — how to say "long ago" in Chinese
早已
Long ago
time adverb
How to use it
Goes after the subject, before the verb.
我早已知道。
wǒ zǎo yǐ zhī dào
I've known for a long time.
Character composition
早
early
已
already
Radicals / Keys
日
Sun
#72 · rì · 4 strokes
己
Oneself
#49 · jǐ · 3 strokes
Collocations
早已准备好
zǎo yǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo
long since prepared
Examples
这个问题早已解决了。
This problem was solved long ago.
他早已走了。
He left long ago.
Try remembering 早已
Three short exercises on meaning and pronunciation. Free, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "long ago" in Chinese?
"long ago" in Chinese is 早已 (zǎo yǐ).
What does 早已 mean in English?
早已 (zǎo yǐ) means "Long ago".
How is 早已 pronounced?
It is pronounced zǎo yǐ (written as zao yi, zaoyi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "long ago" in Chinese characters?
It is written 早已: 早 has 6 strokes, 已 has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 早已?
早已 is on the HSK 3.0 level 5 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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