ya
/ˈʝa/
The Spanish word for already is ya.
ya is an adverb used to indicate that something has occurred prior to a certain time.
Meaning: prior to some time (adv)
Which one should you use?
To express that an action that was happening in the past is no longer happening, use ya no (not anymore / no longer) instead of ya. Additionally, while ya means already, the standard way to say not yet in response to a completed action is todavía no.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using ya to mean already, it is typically placed before the conjugated verb or the direct object pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʝa/
Did you know?
- When used in the phrase ya voy, it translates literally to 'I already go' but actually means 'I am coming' or 'I will be there in a second'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you say ya by itself, you might actually be saying 'enough' or 'stop it' to someone who is bothering you.
- The Spanish word ya shares a common ancestor with the French word déjà, which is why they both express the concept of 'already'.
Examples in context
- Eso ya lo sé.I already know that.This example shows how to use ya to state that you already know something.Tatoeba #1770973 by Shishir, translation #2291629 by CK
- Él ya se fue.He's already left.This example demonstrates how to say that someone has already left.Tatoeba #6627477 by UsuarioX, translation #293066 by CK
- ¿Ya se ha ido?Has he gone already?This example is useful for asking if someone has gone already.Tatoeba #1237107 by Shishir, translation #293085 by CK
- El informe ya fue enviado al jefe.The report has already been sent to the boss.
- Ya he realizado todas las tareas asignadas.I have already completed all the assigned tasks.
- A estas alturas, el plan debería estar en marcha.At this point, the plan should already be in progress.
- Me sorprende que a estas alturas no haya recibido una respuesta.I'm surprised that I haven't received a response at this stage.
- Termino de comer ya mismo y te llamo.I'll finish eating right away and give you a call.
- Vamos a la playa ya mismo.Let's go to the beach right now.
- Limpia tu habitación de una vez.Clean your room already.
- Cómpralo de una vez si tanto lo deseas.Buy it already if you want it so much.
- Termina tus tareas de una buena vez.Finish your tasks already.
- Dile la verdad de una buena vez.Tell him the truth once and for all.
- 1188 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
- Sofía¿Ya hiciste el café?Have you already made the coffee?
- AlejandroSí, ya está listo.Yes, it is already ready.
- SofíaPerfecto, yo ya puse la mesa.Perfect, I already set the table.
- AlejandroGracias, Sofía, vamos a desayunar.Thanks, Sofía, let's eat breakfast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “already” translations and entries ya, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
