Russian Vocabulary (and Wisdom)

How to say "already" in Russian

This Russian word is one of the top 1000 words in Russian. The complete list of most common Russian words is available here.

уже

Meaning: already, by now, no longer

Pronunciation: [oo-ZHEH]

Part of speech: adverb (also see #143)

Rank: #44 (see frequency list)

Where are you? I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes already!
Photo by Josep Ma. Rosell, licensed under CC-BY-2.0

Example sentences:

Ужé вócемь часóв, порá вставáть.
It's 8 o'clock already, it's time to get up.
Я ужé не болéю, попрáвился.
I'm not ill already, I've got well.
Ну вот, ужé лу́чше!
You see, it's getting better now!
literal Well, already better.
Пáвел? Я ужé давнó егó не ви́дела.
Pavel? I haven't seen him for a long time.
Ты где? Я ужé двáдцать мину́т тебя́ жду!
Where are you? I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes already!
Мы пришли́, а егó ужé там нет.
We came, but he was no longer there.
literal We came, but he is no longer there.
Перестáнь плáкать! Ты ужé не ребëнок!
Stop crying! You're no longer a child!
Я ужé три стакáна воды́ вы́пил, а пить всë равнó хóчется.
I've drunk three glasses of water already, but I'm still thirsty.
literal I've drunk three glasses of water already, but I still want to drink.
Мы ужé не раз предупреждáли егó, что э́то мóжет случи́ться.
More than once did we warn him that it could happen.
К сожалéнию, еë ужé нет с нáми.
Unfortunately, she is not with us anymore. [i.e. she passed away]

Idioms and set expressions:

ужé не раз = more than once
literal already not once
eгó ужé нет в живы́х = he passed away already
literal he's not among the living
ужé давнó = long since, long ago
literal for a long time already
э́то ужé чтó-то = anyway, that's something
literal that's something

Related words:

ещë = yet
покá = yet
уж = already, by now, lo longer

Vocabulary lesson: By Russificate blog exclusively for MasterRussian

Phrase recordings: Copyright(c) 2011 MasterRussian.com. All rights reserved.
Word recordings: Copyright(c) 2006 Streit Goulnara, Streit Eric, Vion Nicolas. Copyright(c) 2007 S. Sakhno, N. Vion. Distributed under CC-BY.

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