もう〜た

Already

Level 1Sounds Like mou~ta

もう + Verb (Past Tense) = Already [verb-ed]

How It Works

The adverb もう (already) combined with the た form (casual past) or ました form (polite past) is the standard way to express completion in Japanese.

Key Usage Points:

  • Completion: It indicates that a situation has changed. For example, 'I haven't eaten' becomes 'I have already eaten.'
  • Expectation: It often carries a nuance that the action happened sooner than expected, or it simply serves as a confirmation of a task's status.
  • Questions: When used in a question (もう〜た？), it asks if the transition to completion has occurred yet.

Register:
This pattern is used in all levels of politeness. In casual speech, you use the た form, and in polite speech, you use the ました form.

Examples (4)

  1. もう宿題（しゅくだい）をしました。

    I have already done my homework.

    Word by Word: Already homework (object) did.

    Uses the polite past form ました to state a completed task.

  2. 「もう昼（ひる）ごはんを食（た）べた？」「うん、もう食べたよ。」

    “Have you already eaten lunch?” “Yes, I already ate.”

    Word by Word: Already lunch (object) ate? Yes, already ate (particle).

    A casual conversation using the plain た form.

  3. バスはもう行（い）ってしまいました。

    The bus has already gone.

    Word by Word: Bus (topic) already go (te-form) finished.

    Combines もう with てしまう to emphasize the complete and perhaps regrettable departure of the bus.

  4. もう準備（じゅんび）ができましたか。

    Are the preparations already done?

    Word by Word: Already preparations (subject) could do (polite past)?

    Asking if a state of readiness has been achieved.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the past negative to answer 'No, not yet.'

    「もう食べましたか。」「いいえ、食べませんでした。」
    「もう食べましたか。」「いいえ、まだ食べていません。」

    Responding with 食べませんでした (didn't eat) implies you didn't eat in the past and don't intend to. To say 'not yet,' you must use まだ〜ていない.

  • Confusing 'already' with 'experience.'

    もう日本に行ったことがありますか。
    もう日本に行きましたか。

    While both refer to the past, たことがある is for life experiences. If you are asking if someone has completed a specific planned trip, use もう〜た.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

もう〜たLevel 1Already

Learn This First

To understand 'もう〜た' (Already), you first need to know how to conjugate verbs into the past tense, as this pattern is used to indicate that an action has already finished by the current point in time.

Words in This Pattern