Time Adverbs 已经 and 快要
Learn Time Adverbs 已经 and 快要 with practical HSK 2 examples, focus vocabulary, common pitfalls, and targeted cloze practice.
Pattern
已经 / 快要 + verb
Use this HSK 2 pattern to make sentence structure, scope, or emphasis explicit instead of relying on word-for-word English order.
我已经吃饭了。
When to use Time Adverbs 已经 and 快要
Read 已经 / 快要 + verb as a sentence tool, not just as vocabulary. First locate the main action or claim, then ask what 已经 adds to it.
这个句子里的已经让意思更清楚。
The 已经 in this sentence makes the meaning clearer.
如果不用已经，句子的重点会不一样。
Without 已经, the sentence focus would be different.
他说得很自然，因为他知道已经的位置。
He spoke naturally because he knew where 已经 belongs.
Common traps
- Do not translate 已经 / 快要 + verb mechanically from English; check the Chinese word order first.
- Keep 已经 close to the part of the sentence it controls.
- Do not overuse the pattern in every sentence; use it when it adds a clear role.
Support vocabulary
Targeted drill
Practice this exact pattern before moving on.
Nice grammar rep
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