まだ and もう are two of the most useful Japanese adverbs for expressing time. But they shift meaning depending on whether the sentence is positive or negative.
At a Glance
| Adverb | Positive sentence | Negative sentence |
|---|---|---|
| まだ (mada) | Still (doing) | Not yet |
| もう (mou) | Already / now | No longer / not anymore |
まだ — Still / Not Yet
Positive: まだ食べている — Still eating
Negative: まだ食べていない — Not eating yet / haven’t eaten yet
まだ in negative sentences is extremely common: まだです (Not yet)
もう — Already / Anymore
Positive: もう食べた — Already ate
Negative: もう食べない — Won’t eat anymore / no longer eating
もう帰っていいですか？ — May I go home already? (impatience)
YukaI keep mixing these up. Any trick?
ReiThink of まだ as ‘the situation hasn’t changed yet’ and もう as ‘the situation has changed.’ まだ = same as before. もう = different from before.
YukaSo まだ食べている = still eating (same = still doing) and もう食べた = already ate (situation changed)?
ReiPerfect! And with negatives: まだ食べていない = hasn’t changed yet (still not eaten), もう食べない = changed now (no longer will eat).
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| まだ眠いです | I’m still sleepy |
| まだ眠くないです | I’m not sleepy yet |
| もう起きました | I already woke up |
| もう眠くないです | I’m not sleepy anymore |
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Note |
|---|---|---|
| まだ食べました (still ate) | まだ食べている | まだ in positive = still + ongoing (ている) |
| もう来ていない (no longer coming) | もう来ない | もう + negative plain form is the natural pattern |
Quick Quiz
1. “Have you eaten?” “Not yet.” → まだです
2. “I already finished.” → もう終わりました
3. “She still lives there.” → まだそこに住んでいます
Practice in the Comments!
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Keep Learning: Grammar Hub | は vs が | Daily Expressions
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