01 / READExamples
Highlighted words show the grammar pattern. Reveal the English translation when needed.
小林已经到车站了。
Xiaolin has already arrived at the station.
The arrival has happened by the time of this report.
这家店已经关门了。
This shop has already closed.
The closed state now matters to the speaker.
我已经订好明天的车票了。
I have already booked the tickets for tomorrow.
明天 describes the tickets, not a future booking action.
02 / UNDERSTANDHow it works
Sentence pattern
已经 places a situation on the completed or established side of the time you have in mind. It often answers a question such as whether someone has arrived, whether a shop has closed, or whether a booking is ready.
Put 已经 before the verb phrase, rather than between a verb and its object. Sentence-final 了 is common when reporting a situation that now holds, but 已经 is not a universal past-tense marker and does not mechanically require 了 in every sentence. Use the surrounding context and the aspect pattern that the sentence needs.
COMMON MISTAKESWhat to watch for
Avoid我到已经车站了。
Use我已经到车站了。
已经 introduces the action phrase 到车站. Do not separate 到 from its destination with 已经.
03 / PRACTISECheck your understanding
04 / VOCABULARYLesson vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning here |
|---|---|---|
| 车站 | chēzhàn | station |
| 关门 | guānmén | close; shut for the day |
| 订 | dìng | book; reserve |
Choose a Chinese word for dictionary definitions, examples and stroke order. The meanings above are specific to this lesson.
What is in the download?
The TSV contains Chinese words, pinyin and meanings. Import instructions are below.
Written for this website. Levels indicate difficulty, not official HSK placement. The app covers this topic with different wording and exercises.
