早已

zǎo yǐ

HSK 5

Meaning

for a long time; long since
(dialect) in the past

Definition

表示很早已经，强调事情发生或完成的时间比现在或某一时间点早很多。

already; long ago; indicating that something happened or was completed much earlier than the present or a certain point in time.

Usage

常用于强调某个动作或状态在某一时间点之前已经完成或存在，带有‘早该如此’或‘早已料到’的语气。

Often used to emphasize that an action or state has already been completed or existed before a certain point in time, often with a tone of 'should have been done earlier' or 'expected long ago'.

Examples

1 我早已完成了作业。 (I already finished my homework long ago.)
2 他早已离开了这座城市。 (He left this city long ago.)
3 这个问题早已解决了。 (This problem was already solved long ago.)
4 她早已忘记了那件伤心事。 (She has already forgotten that sad thing long ago.)
5 我们早已预料到会有这样的结果。 (We already expected such a result long ago.)

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