Already or not yet
The train might've already left, Sama's either late or a ghost, and someone just sprinted in sweating. Korean has a different word for each disaster — guess which one saves your group chat.
Already, not yet, or just now?The words — Already or not yet
Zeeza is at the train station, and the cast is testing exactly how late is too late.
Meaningalready
기차가 벌써 출발했어요?
Has the train already left?
Meaningnot yet
사마 씨가 아직 안 왔어요.
Sama hasn't come yet.
Meaningjust now
사마 씨가 방금 도착했어요!
Sama just arrived!
Meaningnot yet (short answer)
청소했어요? 아직이요.
Did you clean? Not yet.
The scene — Already or not yet
The train platform. The board shows nothing moving yet, but Nujoom is already panicking.
- 기차가 벌써 출발했어요?Did the train already leave?
- 아니요, 아직이요.No, not yet.
- 안녕하세요! 힐랄이에요!Hello! It's Hilal!
- 힐랄 씨, 같이 집에 가요!Hilal, let's go home together!
- 지자 씨, 벌써 청소했어요?Zeeza, have you already cleaned?
The idea — Already or not yet
아직 means 'not yet' and pairs with a past-tense verb in Korean — 아직 안 왔어요 literally keeps the past ('didn't come yet'), where Arabic would say لم يأتِ بعد.
Next time something's late — a friend, a bus, the laundry — you've got the exact phrase for 'still not here' without translating word for word.
Questions about Already or not yet
How do you say 'already' in Korean?
'Already' is 벌써 (beolsseo), as in 기차가 벌써 출발했어요? — 'Has the train already left?'
How do you say 'not yet' in Korean?
Use 아직 안 … with a past-tense verb, e.g. 사마 씨가 아직 안 왔어요 — 'Sama hasn't come yet.' A short answer is 아직이요.
How do you say 'just now' in Korean?
'Just now' is 방금 (banggeum), as in 사마 씨가 방금 도착했어요! — 'Sama just arrived!'
Why does Korean keep the past tense with 아직 (not yet)?
아직 pairs with a past-tense verb in Korean, so 아직 안 왔어요 literally keeps 'didn't come' in the past, unlike Arabic which uses the present tense after لم بعد.
You've seen the idea. Now make it stick.
The journey continues in Zeeza — free to start, made to adapt to how you learn.
- Hear it and choose
- Build the sentence
- Say it after the voice
- …and more, adapted to you