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既に (すでに, sudeni) Japanese meaning: already | Kotomora
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He has already gone home.
I've already finished reading that book.
Usage patterns 既すで に 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 ている to already be doing / to have already done
The meeting has already started.
既すで に 〈 事こと 〉 である to already/undeniably be the case
That is already a well-known fact.
既すで に 〈 時とき〉 〉 には 〈 動詞とっく〈どうし〉 〉 ていた had already done by a certain point in time
既すで に 〈 数かず〉 〉 に 達たっ している to have already reached a certain amount
The number of participants has already reached one hundred.
Kanji 既 previously, already, long ago Related words もう is casual and often carries a tone of impatience or surprise, while 既に is neutral and formal, simply stating that something has already occurred.
とっくに is colloquial and stresses that something happened long ago, whereas 既に is a plain, formal statement of completion without that 'ages ago' nuance.
早くも emphasizes surprise that something happened sooner than expected, while 既に just notes that it has already happened, without that surprise nuance.
すでに states 'already' in a neutral, factual way, whereas 最早 adds a stronger sense of finality or a turning point being reached.
Opposites まだ means 'not yet', directly opposing 既に's meaning of 'already'.
既に means 'already' (something has happened), the opposite of 未, which marks something as 'not yet' having happened.
Written forms 既すで に Usage 23%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general writing.
すでに Usage 77%
Kana spelling is very common and often preferred in everyday writing.
已すで に Usage <1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; learners will almost never encounter this spelling.
Etymology Derived from classical Japanese 既 (すで, 'already') + particle に. The kanji 既 carries the meaning of 'already' or 'previously'.
By the time he arrived, everyone had already gone home.
