Meaning of 已
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- already
- (bound form) to stop; to cease; to end
- (literary) thereafter; afterward
- (literary) too; excessively
How to use 已
On its own, 已 is a formal or written word for "already," while everyday speech usually uses 已经 (yǐjīng). It also appears in set phrases like 而已 (éryǐ, that's all) and 不得已 (bùdéyǐ, having no choice). Example: 他已经走了。(Tā yǐjīng zǒu le.) He has already left.
已 (yǐ) looks like a coiled shape that has closed up most of the way, as if an action has already finished. Picture the top stroke almost touching to show something that is done.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 已 (yǐ) with 己 (jǐ, self) and 巳 (sì, a zodiac branch). In 已 the last vertical line rises halfway, in 己 it leaves a gap at the top, and in 巳 it closes completely.
已 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
已 yǐ · already · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 已.
| 已经 | yǐjīng | already |
| 早已 | zǎoyǐ | for a long time; long since; (dialect) in the past |
| 而已 | éryǐ | that's all; nothing more |
| 不已 | bùyǐ | (used after a verb) endlessly; incessantly |
| 不得已 | bùdéyǐ | to act against one's will; to have no alternative but to |
| 赞叹不已 | zàntàn-bùyǐ | (idiom) to be full of praise and admiration; to marvel endlessly; to be in awe |
| 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 |
Questions about 已
What does 已 mean?
已 (yǐ) means "already; (bound form) to stop; to cease; to end" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 已?
已 is made of 1 character: 已 (3 strokes). That is 3 strokes in total.
Is 已 an HSK word?
Yes. 已 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 已 and 已经?
Both mean "already." 已经 is the normal spoken form, while 已 alone sounds formal and appears in writing, news, and fixed phrases like 早已 (zǎoyǐ).
How is 而已 used at the end of a sentence?
而已 (éryǐ) means "that's all" or "just" and softens a statement. 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.