もう・
もう says things have changed: it has happened, or it is over. まだ says they haven't: it hasn't happened yet, or it is still going.
Already
もう + verb in the past
もう食べた, もう食べました
Not yet
まだ + verb in the て-form + いない
まだ食べていない, まだ食べていません
| もう | まだ | |
|---|---|---|
| Positive ending | already: もう | still: まだ |
| Negative ending | not any more: もう | not yet: まだ |
もう and まだ never change. The end of the sentence shows the tense and the politeness.
Has it happened yet?
English asks with "yet". Japanese asks with もう and the past: "have you already…?"
Have you done your homework yet?
Yes, I've already done it.
If the answer is no, it is まだ with ていません, or just まだです.
No, I haven't done it yet.
Not said: いいえ、
(No, I haven't done it yet.)
The past negative can't say "not yet". It closes the matter: the time for it has gone.
I didn't eat breakfast.
The morning is over. It didn't happen.
I haven't eaten breakfast yet.
It can still happen.
Still, and not any more
With a positive ending, まだ is "still". Its opposite is もう with a negative: "not any more".
My younger brother is still a student.
It's only five o'clock.
Before a time, English says "only": it is still that early.
That shop isn't there any more.
Is it still raining?
No, not any more.
When the answer is no, まだ and もう change places.
まだ〜ていない or まだ〜ない?
With something you do, まだ〜ない means you have decided not to do it yet. "Haven't yet" is まだ〜ていない.
Things you'll say and hear
まだまだですstill a long way to go
No, I still have a long way to go.
The modest reply when someone says 日本語が上手ですね.
まだ分かりませんI don't know yet
Sorry, I don't know yet.
Knowing isn't something you decide to do, so here まだ〜ない is simply "not yet".
もう大丈夫ですI'm fine now
I took some medicine, so I'm all right now.
もう寝ますI'm going to bed now
I have an early start tomorrow, so I'm going to bed now.
Before something that hasn't happened yet, もう is "now": the time for it has come.
The other もう: one more
Before an amount, もう can also mean that much more. You'll meet it most in requests.
Once more, please.
Please wait a little longer.
Another cup of coffee, please.
And a look-alike: また, without the two dots, is "again". また来ます is "I'll come again".
Close neighbours
ているN5
もう also goes with ている, for how things already are: already here, already asleep, already married.
Tanaka is already here.
あとN4
Also "more" before an amount. あと counts what is left before an end, where もう is the usual way to ask for another. Often either fits.
Three more days until summer vacation.
"Finally", "at last": it happened after a long time. もう and まだ don't say it took long.
After an hour's wait, my friend finally came.
Check yourself
1"Have you eaten lunch yet?"
昼ご飯は
Choose an answer to see why.
2"No, I haven't seen it yet."
いいえ、
Choose an answer to see why.
3What does this mean?
もう
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
Not yet, at a time in the past
For "hadn't yet", the いない goes into the past: ていなかった, ていませんでした.
At three yesterday afternoon, the results had not come out yet.
More sentences
I've bought the ticket already.
Tanaka has already gone home.
Has the package arrived yet?
The passport hasn't arrived yet.
The homework is not finished yet.
I've already seen that movie.