既

jì

HSK 2.0 Level 4 HSK 3.0 Level 4 Adverb Common

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Definitions

1. already
2. since
3. both... (and...)

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Character focus

Stroke order

9 strokes

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Word relationships

Counterparts

1 item

• 又 yòu 又 yòu (once) again paired with 既 in the structure 既...又... (both...and...); 又 is the second correlative conjunction: (once) again

Related words

1 item

• 既然 jì rán 既然 jì rán since 既然 means 'since' or 'now that', introducing a reason, while 既 appears in the pattern 既...又... to mean 'both...and...': since

Synonyms

1 item

• 已经 yǐ jīng 已经 yǐ jīng already expressing that something has already happened; 既 is more literary and used in fixed patterns like 既...又...: already

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not use 既 alone to mean 'since' in the sense of 'because'; use 既然 instead. 既 is mainly used in the correlative structure 既...又... (both...and...).

Formality

In spoken Mandarin, 已经 is preferred over 既 for 'already'. 既 is mainly found in written Chinese and fixed expressions like 既成事实 (fait accompli).

Grammar

Guides that feature 既

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 4+ 5 min

既...又/也... for “Both … And …”

Use 既……，又/也…… to say something has two qualities or does two things at once.

Reading: jì Open guide

Example Sentences

3 shown

她 既 聪明又努力。

She is both smart and hardworking.

这个苹果 既 大且甜。

This apple is both big and sweet.

我 既 不會讀也不會說法語。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 771220)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 既

• 一如既往 一如既往 yī rú jì wǎng: just as in the past (idiom); as before
• 既然 既然 jì rán: since
• 一言既出，驷马难追 一言既出，驷马难追 yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī: lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
• 不咎既往 不咎既往 bù jiù jì wǎng: not censure sb for his past misdeeds
• 既来之，则安之 既来之，则安之 jì lái zhī , zé ān zhī: Since they have come, we should make them comfortable (idiom). Since we're here, take it easy.
• 既定 既定 jì dìng: already fixed
• 既已 既已 jì yǐ: already
• 既往 既往 jì wǎng: past
• 既往不咎 既往不咎 jì wǎng bù jiù: to forget and not bear recriminations (idiom); to let bygones be bygones
• 既得 既得 jì dé: vested in
• 既得利益 既得利益 jì dé lì yì: vested interest
• 既得期间 既得期间 jì dé qī jiān: vesting period (in finance)
• 既成事实 既成事实 jì chéng shì shí: fait accompli
• 既是 既是 jì shì: is both ...(and...)
• 既有 既有 jì yǒu: existing
• 既有今日何必当初 既有今日何必当初 jì yǒu jīn rì hé bì dāng chū: see 早知今日何必當初|早知今日何必当初[zǎo zhī jīn rì hé bì dāng chū]
• 既而 既而 jì ér: soon after
• 既视感 既视感 jì shì gǎn: déjà vu