还 vs 已经: what is the difference?
还 means something is still going on, and 已经 means it has already happened. 他还没来 means he has not come yet, while 他已经来了 means he is here.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 还 | hái | Says a state continues or has not yet changed. | Subject + 还 + verb / 还没 + verb |
| 已经 | yǐ jīng | Says something is already done. | Subject + 已经 + verb + 了 |
还 (hái)
Says a state continues or has not yet changed.
Structure: Subject + 还 + verb / 还没 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他还在睡觉。 | Tā hái zài shuì jiào. | He is still sleeping. |
| 作业还没做完。 | Zuò yè hái méi zuò wán. | The homework is not done yet. |
| 已经十点了，你还不睡吗？ | Yǐ jīng shí diǎn le, nǐ hái bú shuì ma? | It is already ten, are you still not sleeping? |
Not: 他没还来。 还 goes before 没: 他还没来.
已经 (yǐ jīng)
Says something is already done.
Structure: Subject + 已经 + verb + 了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他已经二十岁了。 | Tā yǐ jīng èr shí suì le. | He is already twenty. |
| 电影已经开始了。 | Diàn yǐng yǐ jīng kāi shǐ le. | The film has already started. |
| 你已经做完作业了吗？ | Nǐ yǐ jīng zuò wán zuò yè le ma? | Have you finished your homework already? |
Not: 我已经没吃饭。 已经 goes with finished things; for 'not yet' use 还没: 我还没吃饭.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Time Adverbs: 刚、还、忽然、一直、已经 (HSK 2) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 次 vs 遍 · 刚 vs 刚才 · 更 vs 还 · 看见 vs 看到 · 可以 vs 能 · 吗 vs 吧 · 吗 vs 是不是 · 如果 vs 只要 · 上去 vs 上来 · 往 vs 向 · 有点儿 vs 一点儿 · 又 vs 再 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 还 and 已经?
还 means something is still going on, and 已经 means it has already happened. 他还没来 means he has not come yet, while 他已经来了 means he is here.
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