Dictionary › 已经

已经

yǐ jīng

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 level 2 2-character word Traditional 已經

已经 (yǐ jīng) means "already". It is an HSK 3.0 level 2 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 已经 means

1. already

How 已经 is used in grammar

已经 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Time Adverbs: 刚、还、忽然、一直、已经 (HSK 2)
• Multiple Adverbials: Ordering Rules (HSK 5)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 2, adverbs (时间副词).

The characters in 已经

• 已yǐalready; to stop; then
• 经jīngclassics; sacred book; scripture

Example sentences

• 已经9点了。
  It's already nine o'clock.
• 他已经走了。
  He's already left.
• 已经结束了。
  It's already over.
• 已经没事了。
  I'm fine now.
• 你已经死了！
  You are already dead!
• 火已经灭了。
  The fire has gone out.

Where 已经 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Time Expressions (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read yǐ jīng correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.