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已经……了 and 还没……呢 — already and not yet
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You are late to the cinema
- You arrive at the cinema at eight. Your friend says the film began some time ago.
- movie电影already已经to start开始(completed / change)了。 — "The film has already started."
already已经 + verb + (completed / change)了
- already已经 means "already". It goes before the verb, and (completed / change)了 usually comes at the end: I我already已经eat吃饭(completed / change)了, I have already eaten.
- The pattern says something has happened by now, often earlier than expected.
I我already已经eat吃饭了。

Complete: “I have already eaten.” 我____吃饭了。
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
已经 comes before the verb, and 了 ends the sentence.
Build: “The film has already started.”
Difficulté 3/5 · 200 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
Subject + 已经 + verb + 了.
already已经 with time and amounts
- With a length of time: he / him他already已经学了两年Chinese language汉语(completed / change)了。 — "He has already studied Chinese for two years (and still does)."
- With a state or number: already已经ten o'clock十点(completed / change)了, it is already ten o'clock; he / him他already已经二十岁(completed / change)了, he is already twenty.
already已经ten o'clock十点了。
他已经学了两年汉语了 suggests he is still studying Chinese now.
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
True. With a length of time and a final 了, the action has gone on for two years and continues.
Not yet: still还not没(to have / there is有)……(and …? / softener)呢
- The negative of already已经…(completed / change)了 is still还not没…(and …? / softener)呢: I我still还not没eat吃饭(and …? / softener)呢。 — "I haven't eaten yet." Do not say already已经not没variant of 吃吃.
- Ask with (yes/no ?)吗 or not have / haven't没有: you你already已经to buy tickets买票(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗? / you你to buy tickets买票(completed / change)了not have / haven't没有?
I我still还not没eat吃饭呢。
A friend asks if you have bought the tickets. You have not. Which reply fits?
Difficulté 1/5 · 100 pièces + un petit bonus lors de la première réussite aujourd'hui
“Not yet” is 还没 + verb + 呢. 已经 does not combine with 没 for this meaning.
Watch out
- already已经 goes before the verb, not after it: already已经to start开始(completed / change)了, not to start开始already已经(completed / change)了.
- For "not yet", switch to still还not没…(and …? / softener)呢. already已经 does not combine with not没 in this meaning.
Recap
- already已经 + verb/state + (completed / change)了 = already: movie电影already已经to start开始(completed / change)了, already已经ten o'clock十点(completed / change)了.
- still还not没 + verb + (and …? / softener)呢 = not yet. Ask with already已经…(completed / change)了(yes/no ?)吗? or …(completed / change)了not have / haven't没有?
Your friend is checking a party plan. Say two things you have already done and one you have not done yet. Close the examples. Say it, then write it in Chinese.
Compare meaning and word order with the model; your sentences need not copy it. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken version to comment on pronunciation.