已经…了: already
副词 / adverbs (时间)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Subject + 已经 + Verb / Adj + 了
已经 (yǐjīng) = "already". It goes before the verb and almost always comes with 了 (after the verb or at the end): 我已经做完了.
It also works with numbers or times: 已经十点了 (it's already ten), 我已经工作三年了 (I've already been working for three years).
The usual negative answer is 还没(有)…(呢) (not yet).
Examples
报告我已经写好了。
Bàogào wǒ yǐjīng xiěhǎo le.I've already finished the report.
已经八点了，快起床！
Yǐjīng bā diǎn le, kuài qǐchuáng!It's already eight, get up!
我在这家公司已经工作五年了。
Wǒ zài zhè jiā gōngsī yǐjīng gōngzuò wǔ nián le.I've already worked at this company for five years.
他已经下班了。
Tā yǐjīng xiàbān le.He's already left work.
Common mistakes
✗ 我已经吃饭 (without 了) → ✓ 我已经吃饭了.
✗ 已经我吃了 → ✓ 我已经吃了.