already, before

About this kanji

The kanji "既" primarily means "already" or "before." It is often used as a noun and typically appears in compound words. For example, "既婚" (きこん) means "married," indicating a state that has already been achieved. Another common compound is "既存" (きぞん), which translates to "existing," referring to something that is already there. You might also encounter "既に" (すでに), often used in conversation to mean "already" as in something that has happened. One usage note is that while some compounds can often appear in formal contexts, they can also be found in everyday conversation when expressing past experiences or current states.

Built from

Example sentences

• 既に決まったことだ。

  It is already decided.

Meanings across languages

English

already, before

Tiếng Việt

đã, trước đây

日本語

すでに, 以前

한국어

이미, 이전

中文

已经, 之前

id

sudah, sebelum

th

แล้ว, ก่อน

es

ya, antes

fr

déjà, avant

de

bereits, zuvor

pt

já, anteriormente

Common compounds

• 既婚きこんmarried
• 既存きぞんexisting
• 既にすでにalready