Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat

もう

もう Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Adverb

Essential Meaning: Already / Now / Not any longer

Construction: Adverb

Notes:

  • もう is the opposite of まだ. もう expresses the idea that something or someone is no longer in the same state that they were in previously. For example, consider these two sentences: (1) “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.” (2) “I already brushed my teeth.” Sentence 1 conveys the idea that the speaker is still in the state of having not brushed his or her teeth. Sentence 2 conveys the idea that the speaker is no longer in the state of having not brushed his or teeth. Thus, まだ would be appropriate in sentence 1, and もう would be appropriate in sentence 2.
    • E.g. 私わたしはもう歯はを磨みがいた。[I already brushed my teeth.]
    • E.g. 私はまだ歯はを磨みがいていない。[I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.]
  • もう can be with both positive or negative verbs. With a positive verb, もう corresponds to the English “Already” or “Now“. With a negative verb, もう corresponds to the English “No longer“.
    • E.g. With Positive Verb: 私わたしはもう昼ひるごはんを食たべた。[I already ate lunch.]
    • E.g. With Positive Verb: 春男はるおくんはもう大丈夫だいじょうぶです。[Haruo-kun is OK now.]
    • E.g. With Negative Verb: ヒルさんはもう日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうしていない。[Ms. Hill is no longer studying Japanese.]

Example Sentences:

私わたしはもう昼ひるごはんを食たべた。[I already ate lunch.]

ヒルさんはもう日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうしていない。[Ms. Hill is no longer studying Japanese.]

A: もう宿題しゅくだいをしましたか。B: はい、もうしました。[A: Did you already do your homework? B: Yes, I already did it.]

私わたしはもう酒さけを飲のみません。[I don’t drink sake any more.]

春男はるおくんはもう大丈夫だいじょうぶです。[Haruo-kun is OK now.]

WILD Examples:

From 1:56, listen for this line: 同おなじ本ほんを読よみ返かえして、また絵えを描kく, もう飽あきたわ [Re-reading the same books, drawing pictures again, but I’ve already lost interest]
Listen to this line at 1:17 怖こわいものなんてない、僕ぼくらはもう一人ひとりじゃない [Nothing scares us, We’re no longer alone.]
At 1:53, listen for this line: 永遠えいえんはもう半なかばすぎてしまったみたい [It appears that eternity has already passed the halfway mark]
Listen for this line at 2:53: 輝かがやいていたい、もう決きめたな [I want to shine, I’ve already decided]
Listen to this dialogue from 0:42: Belle: 借かりた本ほんお返かえしします。Clerk: もう読よんだのかい？ [Belle: I’m returning the book I borrowed: Claerk: You already finished reading it?]

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