Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Want to say “I’ve already eaten” or “I haven’t seen that movie yet” in Japanese?
These are very useful expressions for everyday conversations — and Japanese has simple, direct ways to say them using:
- もう + V-ました = I’ve already done ~
- まだ + V-ていません = I haven’t done ~ yet
In this article, we’ll show you how to form and use these structures to talk about completed or uncompleted actions naturally in Japanese.
1. Grammar Patterns
In Japanese, もう means “already,” and まだ means “not yet.” Use もう with the past tense form of a verb (Vました) to express “have already done,” and use まだ with the negative te-form of a verb (V-ていません) to express “have not yet done.”
もう + V-ました
Meaning: I’ve already done (something)
Example: もう宿題をしました。= I have already done my homework.
まだ + V-ていません
Meaning: I haven’t done (something) yet
Example: まだその漢字をおぼえていません。= I haven’t memorized that kanji yet.
2. Structure & conjugation
To talk about the completed/uncompleted actions in Japanese,
- Use もう with the past tense form of a verb (Vました) to express “have already done.”
- Use まだ with the negative te-form of a verb (V-ていません) to express “have not yet done.”
📝 Notes:
- もう means “already”
- まだ means “still” or “not yet”
3. Example Sentences
- もうあさごはんを食べました。
= I have already had breakfast. - まだテレビを見ていません。
= I haven’t watched TV yet. - もう宿題を出しましたか？
= Have you already submitted your homework? - まだシャワーを浴びていません。
= I haven’t taken a shower yet.
4. Practice Conjugation
Here are some example verbs in both patterns:
| Verb | もう V-ました | まだ V-ていません |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べました | 食べていません |
| 見る (to see) | 見ました | 見ていません |
| 書く (to write) | 書きました | 書いていません |
| 掃除する (to clean up) | 掃除しました | 掃除していません |
| 旅行する (to travel) | 旅行しました | 旅行していません |
5. Practice Time!
Answer these questions using もう〜 or まだ〜:
| Question | Example Answers |
|---|---|
| 今日、テレビを見ましたか？ Have you watched TV today? | はい、もう見ました。 / いいえ、まだ見ていません。 |
| 晩ごはんを食べましたか？ Have you eaten dinner? | はい、もう食べました。 / いいえ、まだです。 |
| ワンピースの映画、見ましたか？ Have you seen the One Piece movie? | はい、もう見ました。 / いいえ、まだ見ていません。 |
| おふろに入りましたか？ Have you taken a bath? | はい、もう入りました。 / いいえ、まだ入っていません。 |
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct |
|---|---|
| まだ見ました。 | まだ見ていません。 |
| もう見ていません。 | もう見ました。 |
💡 Use ていません with まだ, not past tense!
7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan I use もう and まだ in a question?
- A
Yes! It’s common. Example:
- もうあのアニメを見ましたか？ = Have you seen that anime yet?
- mother: まだ宿題をしていないの？= Haven’t done your homework yet?
son: あとでやるよ。= I’ll do it later.
In this context, 「まだ～していないの？ Haven’t you done ~ yet?」 contains a nuance of reproach for the other party.
- QDo 「もう」 and 「まだ」 have other meanings besides “already” and “not yet”?
- A
Yes, they do!
まだ (mada) can also mean “still” when used with a positive state or ongoing action. (e.g., まだ暑いです – mada atsui desu = It is still hot; まだ食べています – mada tabete imasu = I am still eating).
もう (mou) can also mean “more,” “another,” “again,” or indicate surprise/exasperation depending on context and intonation. (e.g., もう一杯 – mou ippai = one more cup; もう来ましたか？ – mou kimashita ka? = Did they come already? / Have they come again?)
「もうV-ません」 (or もうV-ない) means “no longer doing ~” or “not ~ anymore”. It indicates that an action or state that was previously happening has stopped. Example: もうビールを飲みません。(Mou biiru o nomimasen.) = I don’t drink beer anymore.
- QCan I omit 「もう」 or 「まだ」 from the sentence?
- A
Yes, if the context makes it clear. For example, if someone asks 「ご飯を食べましたか？」 (Have you eaten?), you could simply reply 「食べました。」 (I ate.) which often implies “I’ve already eaten” in that context. Similarly, 「テレビを見ていません。」 (I haven’t watched TV.) could imply “yet” if the topic of watching TV later was just discussed. However, including 「もう」 and 「まだ」 makes the meaning explicit and is very common and natural.
8. Conclusion
Now you can:
✅ Say you’ve already done something (もう〜ました)
✅ Say you haven’t done something yet (まだ〜ていません)
✅ Answer and ask questions about your recent activities
🎯 Try this:
- 今日、もうコーヒーを飲みましたか？
- いいえ、まだ飲んでいません！
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