Word

已 (yǐ) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 4

Meaning of 已

副 fù adverb

already

他已离开。

tā yǐ lí kāi

He has already left.

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Word breakdown

已 yǐ — already

1 已经 yǐ jīng — already HSK 2
- 已 already, by now
- 经 through, past (reinforcing completion)
Example

电影已经开始了。

diàn yǐng yǐ jīng kāi shǐ le

The movie has already started.
2 早已 zǎo yǐ — long ago, already HSK 5
- 早 early, long ago (time aspect)
- 已 already (completion aspect)
Example

这个问题早已解决了。

zhè ge wèn tí zǎo yǐ jiě jué le

This problem was solved long ago.
3 不已 bù yǐ — endlessly HSK 6
- 不 not (negation particle)
- 已 stop, cease
Example

她赞叹不已。

tā zàn tàn bù yǐ

She praised it endlessly.
4 不得已 bù dé yǐ — have no choice but to HSK 7
- 不 not
- 得 able to / can
- 已 stop / help it
Example

我不得已才这样做的。

wǒ bù dé yǐ cái zhè yàng zuò de

I had no choice but to do this.
5 而已 ér yǐ — that's all; nothing more; merely HSK 7
- 而 connecting particle (forms compound with 已)
- 已 stop, cease (indicates limitation)
Example

这只是个误会而已。

zhè zhǐ shì gè wù huì ér yǐ

This is just a misunderstanding, that's all.

Structure & writing

1 已 yǐ — to stop; to cease

已 is not used as a component in any other character.

已 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order