ji5已

Jyutpingji5

Yaleyíh

副詞Very common

Definition

Already; expressing that an action is completed or a state is reached.

writtentime

How it's used

While 已 is used in formal written Chinese, it is rarely used alone in spoken Cantonese. Instead, native speakers almost exclusively use 已經 to express the concept of already. Using 已 by itself in casual conversation sounds overly literary or stiff, similar to using archaic vocabulary in a modern setting.

Examples

ngo5我ji5已ging1經sik6食zo2咗faan6飯laa1喇。

I have already eaten.

nei5你ji5已ging1經maai5買zo2咗fei1飛mei6未aa3呀？

Have you already bought the tickets?

Related words

synonymji5 ging1已經yíh gīng

Common phrases

ji5已ging1經hai6係

is already

ji5已ging1經zou6做zo2咗

has already done

Common mistake

Learners often try to use 已 as a direct substitute for 已經 in speech, which sounds unnatural. Remember that in Cantonese, the two-character form 已經 is the standard way to convey this meaning.