すでに (JLPT N3)

About すでに

As a formal alternative to もう, the adverb 既(すで)に is used in Japanese as 'already'. Usually, 既(すで)に will come at the beginning of a phrase that it is clarifying as being 'already (A)'.

すでに has several nuances in Japanese beyond just 'already', let's take a look at a few of these possibilities:

のこらず - Nothing remaining.

あまねく - All around.

ことごとく - Altogether.

もはや - Already.

まぎれもなく - Beyond doubt.

These may all seem quite different, but together they show the full meaning of 既(すで)に very clearly. That meaning is 'to be completely unchanging'. Let's take a look at how すでに can be used with each of these nuances.

Caution

Due to 既(すで)に implying something absolutely cannot be changed, it is often used to imply that something is 'too late', and that nothing else can be done about it.

Synonyms

Examples

--:--

時(とき)既(すで)に遅(おそ)し。

You are already too late.

電話(でんわ)料金(りょうきん)は既(すで)に払(はら)い終(お)えました。

I have already paid the telephone bill.

あなたの席(せき)は既(すで)にここと決(き)まっています。

It has already been decided that your seat will be here.

僕(ぼく)が来(き)た時(とき)には、電気(でんき)は既(すで)につけてあった。

The light was already on when I arrived.

旅行(りょこう)に行(い)くための休(やす)みは既(すで)に取(と)りました。

I had already taken a day off for a trip.

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すでに – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

MZa
Here and elsewhere the translation of 既に is almost always ‘already’ even when ‘too late’ could be meaningful. Is it due to the way how this word is really understood and used by Japanese? Is there another word to say ‘too late’ without ambiguity?
Daru
The basic meaning is always ‘implying something absolutely cannot be changed’. So rather than losing one of the meanings, its really the same one being changed around to better fit a translation.

Hope this helps!
Sidgr
Does anyone have an intuition on the difference in nuance between:
- もうすでに
- すでに
In general I have always thought of 既に to be a direct formality increase, but this suggests otherwise.