mata-vs-mda

2021年12月19日2026年4月21日

また (mata) and まだ (mada) look almost identical in hiragana — they share three of the same characters — but they mean completely different things. Confusing them is one of the most common beginner mistakes in Japanese, and it can lead to some genuinely puzzling sentences. “I haven’t eaten yet” and “I eat again” are not the same thing! This guide will make sure you never mix them up again.

Yuka

Quick question, Rei — when should I use また versus まだ?

Rei

Ah, a classic mix-up! They’re related but definitely not interchangeable. I’ll explain with examples and it’ll make perfect sense.

TOC

At a Glance: また vs. まだ

Feature	また (mata)	まだ (mada)
Core meaning	Again / also / moreover	Still / not yet / as of now
Time frame	Future recurrence or added item	Ongoing state or incomplete action
With negative verbs	Rare / unusual pattern	Very common: まだ〜ていない (haven’t done yet)
With positive verbs	Very common: また〜する (do again)	Also common: まだ〜ている (still doing)
In goodbyes	またね！ (See you again!)	—
JLPT level	N5	N5

また (mata) — Again, Also, and Moreover

また means “again” — something that happened before is happening one more time. It can also function as “also” or “moreover” when listing related ideas. As an adverb, また comes before the verb or clause it modifies.

You’ll hear また constantly in daily Japanese: at the end of conversations (またね — “see you again”), when repeating an action (またやった — “I did it again”), or when adding a point (またそれも重要だ — “that’s also important”).

Example 1 — doing something again:

また来てください。
Mata kite kudasai.
Please come again.

Example 2 — repeating a mistake:

また遅刻してしまった。
Mata chikoku shite shimatta.
I was late again (and I didn’t want to be).

Example 3 — “also” (adding information):

彼は医者で、また音楽家でもある。
Kare wa isha de, mata ongakuka demo aru.
He is a doctor, and also a musician.

Yuka

Oh interesting! So また can mean that too? I only knew the basic meaning.

Rei

Yes! また is more versatile than most learners realize. Native speakers use it in all sorts of situations — not just the obvious ones.

まだ (mada) — Still and Not Yet

まだ expresses continuity — something is still the case, or something has not happened yet but is expected. The key is that the situation started before now and is either ongoing (with a positive verb) or incomplete (with a negative verb).

The two most important patterns:

Pattern 1 — まだ + positive verb = “still [doing/being]”

まだ食べています。
Mada tabete imasu.
I am still eating.

Pattern 2 — まだ + negative verb = “not yet”

まだ食べていません。
Mada tabete imasen.
I haven’t eaten yet.

Example 3 — expressing ongoing state:

彼女はまだ学生です。
Kanojo wa mada gakusei desu.
She is still a student.

Formation note: まだ〜ていない is one of the most useful patterns for beginners. It combines まだ + て-form + いない to express “haven’t done yet.”

Yuka

What about まだ? Is it used as often as また in daily conversation?

Rei

まだ is super common too! The two words actually complement each other really well once you understand both.

The Easy Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a reliable mental shortcut:

また → “again” or “also” — something comes back or is added.
まだ → “still” or “not yet” — something continues from the past or is incomplete.

If you can replace the word with “again” → use また.
If you can replace the word with “still” or “not yet” → use まだ.

Common confusion example:

❌ まだ来た。(I came not-yet? — this is grammatically awkward and meaningless)
✓ また来た。(I came again.) — “again” makes sense here.
✓ まだ来ていない。(I haven’t come yet.) — “not yet” makes sense here.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Japanese term	Meaning	When to use	Example
また (mata)	Again / also	Repeated action or adding information	また会いましょう (Let’s meet again)
またね (mata ne)	See you again / later	Casual goodbye	じゃあ、またね！(See you later!)
まだ + positive (mada)	Still [doing]	Ongoing action or state	まだ働いている (still working)
まだ + negative (mada)	Not yet	Expected action not completed	まだ終わっていない (not finished yet)

Decision Flowchart: また or まだ?

What are you trying to say?
            |
     ┌──────┴──────┐
     |              |
"This happens    "Something is
 again" or        ongoing or
 "also/moreover"  not done yet"
     |              |
     v              v
   また (mata)    まだ (mada)
                    |
             ┌──────┴──────┐
             |              |
       + positive verb   + negative verb
             |              |
             v              v
        "still doing"    "not yet done"
        まだ〜ている      まだ〜ていない