早已

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 他早已离开了这座城市。▶ —
   He left this city long ago.
2. 这件事我早已忘记了。▶ —
   I forgot about this long ago.

Collocations

Mnemonic

早 zǎo "early" + 已 yǐ "already": early and already, i.e. long ago, already (much earlier). An adverb stressing past completion (早已忘记, forgot long ago). The 已 is in 已经 (already). Distinguish 早已 (long since, emphatic) from 已经 (yǐjīng, simply "already").

Related

Quick check

1. What distinguishes 早已 from 已经?

   • 早已 = long since (emphatic); 已经 = simply already
   • identical
   • 早已 = color; 已经 = taste
   • 已经 = place