已 meaning and stroke order
Already; (bound form) to stop; to cease; to end; (literary) thereafter; afterward
How to write 已, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 已
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- already
- (bound form) to stop; to cease; to end
- (literary) thereafter; afterward
- (literary) too; excessively
How to remember 已
已 (yǐ) looks like 己 (jǐ, self) with the top-left stroke rising halfway up, as if the shape has partly closed and is finished. Think of it as something that has already started to close up, so it means "already" or "done."
In modern speech 已 mostly appears in 已经 (yǐjīng), placed before the verb, often with 了 at the end. Example: 他已经走了。(Tā yǐjīng zǒu le.) He has already left. Alone, 已 sounds more formal or written, as in 已婚 (yǐhūn, married) on forms.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 已 (yǐ, already), 己 (jǐ, self, as in 自己), and 巳 (sì, a zodiac branch). In 己 the left stroke stays low and open, in 已 it rises halfway, and in 巳 it closes completely at the top.
Common words with 已
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already | HSK 2 |
| 早已 | zǎoyǐ | for a long time; long since; (dialect) in the past | HSK 3 |
| 而已 | éryǐ | that's all; nothing more | HSK 7-9 |
| 不已 | bùyǐ | (used after a verb) endlessly; incessantly | HSK 7-9 |
| 不得已 | bùdéyǐ | to act against one's will; to have no alternative but to | HSK 7-9 |
| 赞叹不已 | zàntàn-bùyǐ | (idiom) to be full of praise and admiration; to marvel endlessly; to be in awe | HSK 7-9 |
| 仅此而已 | jǐncǐ'éryǐ | (idiom) that's all; just this and nothing more | |
| 已婚 | yǐhūn | married | |
| 已知 | yǐzhī | known (to science) | |
| 为时已晚 | wéishíyǐwǎn | already too late | |
| 已故 | yǐgù | the late; deceased | |
| 已久 | yǐjiǔ | already a long time | |
| 已然 | yǐrán | already; to be already so; to have long been the case | |
| 迫不得已 | pòbùdéyǐ | to have no alternative (idiom); compelled by circumstances; forced into sth |
已 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 已
How many strokes are in 已?
已 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 已 mean?
已 (yǐ) means already; (bound form) to stop; to cease; to end; (literary) thereafter; afterward. A common word with it is 已经 (yǐjīng), meaning "already".
How do you pronounce 已?
已 is pronounced yǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 已?
The radical of 已 is 己, which carries the idea of "self". Dictionaries list 已 under this radical.
Is 已 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 已 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 已经 and 早已?
已经 (yǐjīng) simply means something has already happened. 早已 (zǎoyǐ) stresses that it happened long ago, as in 他早已忘了。(Tā zǎoyǐ wàng le.) He forgot long ago.
How do you use 而已 at the end of a sentence?
而已 (éryǐ) means "that's all" and downplays what came before. It often pairs with 只是 or 不过, as in 我只是问问而已。(Wǒ zhǐshì wènwen éryǐ.) I was just asking, that's all.