Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'already'

English Word: already

Key Russian Translations:

• уже [ˈuʐɨ] - [Neutral, Commonly Used]
• давно [dɐvˈno] - [Emphasizes a longer time, Informal]

Frequency: High

Difficulty: A1 (Beginner) for "уже"; A2 (Elementary) for "давно"

Pronunciation (Russian):

уже: [ˈuʐɨ]

Note on уже: The stress is on the first syllable. The "ж" sound is a voiced fricative, similar to the "s" in "measure".

давно: [dɐvˈno]

Note on давно: The stress is on the second syllable. The "в" is pronounced softly before "н".

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

1. Indicating something has happened before now (General Use)

Translation(s) & Context:

• уже - Used in most contexts to indicate something has happened or is completed by now.

Usage Examples:

• Я уже закончил работу.

  I have already finished the work.

• Она уже дома.

  She is already at home.

• Мы уже видели этот фильм.

  We have already seen this movie.

2. Indicating something happened a long time ago or for a long time (Emphasis on Duration)

Translation(s) & Context:

• давно - Used to emphasize that something happened or has been happening for a long time.

Usage Examples:

• Я давно знаю его.

  I have known him for a long time already.

• Мы давно не виделись.

  We haven’t seen each other for a long time already.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

уже: This is an adverb and does not change form. It remains invariable regardless of context, gender, number, or case.

давно: This is also an adverb and does not inflect. It is used consistently in all contexts without morphological changes.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

Synonyms for уже:

• сейчас (in some contexts, meaning "by now")

Synonyms for давно:

• издавна (more formal, meaning "since long ago")
• с давних пор (idiomatic, meaning "for a long time")

Antonyms for уже/давно:

• ещё (meaning "still" or "not yet")
• недавно (meaning "recently")

Note: Synonyms for "уже" and "давно" differ slightly in nuance; "давно" emphasizes duration, while "уже" focuses on completion.

Related Phrases:

• уже пора - "it’s already time" (used to indicate urgency or lateness)
• давно пора - "it’s been high time" (stronger emphasis on delay)
• уже не раз - "already not once" (meaning "many times already")

Usage Notes:

• "уже" is the most common and neutral translation for "already," suitable for most contexts where completion or prior occurrence is implied.
• "давно" specifically emphasizes a long duration and is often used in contexts where the speaker wants to highlight how much time has passed.
• Both words are adverbs and typically placed before the verb they modify in a sentence.
• Be mindful of the negative construction with "ещё" (not yet) as the direct opposite of "уже."

Common Errors:

• Error: Using "давно" when the context does not imply a long duration. For example, saying "Я давно дома" instead of "Я уже дома" for "I’m already at home." Explanation: "давно" suggests a long time, which might confuse the listener if the action just happened.
• Error: Misplacing "уже" or "давно" after the verb. For example, "Я закончил уже работу" instead of "Я уже закончил работу." Explanation: In Russian, adverbs like "уже" usually precede the verb for natural flow.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian, the concept of time and completion (as conveyed by "уже") often carries a pragmatic tone in conversation. Russians may use "уже" to express surprise or impatience, such as in "Ты уже здесь?" ("You’re already here?"), which can imply either delight or unexpectedness depending on intonation.

Related Concepts:

• ещё (still, not yet)
• недавно (recently)
• сейчас (now, at the moment)