# 已 / 已经



## student7

＂到目前为止，已有 100 多家企业和团体引进该计算机。＂

My idea is "So far, 100 companies and organizations have already introduced the computer."

I'd like to know the difference between 已 and 已经.

Could I say＂到目前为止，已经有 100 多家企业和团体引进该计算机。＂?


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## kun2kun

They sound the same to me in the two sentences.


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## Thime

I think in this case 已 is an abbreviation of 已经 and both mean the same. I suppose they can be used interchangeably.


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## Skatinginbc

Thime said:


> I think in this case 已 is an abbreviation of 已经


Is 屋 an abbreviation of 屋子?  An abbreviation (e.g., "lab", "exam") is usually less formal than the original (e.g., "laboratory", "examination"), but 已 or 屋 is actually more literary than 已经 or 屋子.  In Classical Chinese, 已 is a temporal adverb meaning "already" and 已经 a verb phrase meaning "already go through".  In Modern Chinese, 已经 may serve as an adverb synonymous with 已.  In this case, 经 is a meaningless suffix like 子 in 屋子.


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## asaisaio

If you use 已 instead of 已经, people who read the sentence will look upon you as an educated person.


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## brofeelgood

你到了吗?
- 已经到了.
- 已到了. (sounds weird?)
- 到了.

你吃饭了吗?
- 已经吃了.
- 已吃了. (this too?)
- 吃了.

In my observation, 已 by itself seems to be more common in written literature. In spoken form, I usually stick to 已经 or leave it out completely when giving a casual reply. Personal habit.


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## jokingbad

1. 已 and 已经 both are adverbs.  
2. 已 and 经 both are adverbs, however, 已 could be used individually, while 经 couldn't be used individully to express sth. has/had been done. 
3. In my opinion, regarding to the selection between 已经 and 已，it depends on the verb, how many Chinese word makes up this verb or verb phrase. 
When the verb has only one Chinese word, just as you posted, 已有，有 here is a single word and as a verb. 2 words consists of 已有， and they make the phrase neatly and concisely, consequently, make you read it comfortably.
When the verb has more than one Chinese word, or there is a modifier after the verb, for sake of neatness and making it in order, then we choose 已经。For instance, 你到了吗？
-已经到了。 
-已到，勿念······
（已经到/已到了 sounds not good but correct grammatically.)
And, conclusion No. 3 is just based on my understanding, there is no specific proof I've found in book or on the internet.


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## Thime

Skatinginbc said:


> Is 屋 an abbreviation of 屋子?  An abbreviation (e.g., "lab", "exam") is usually less formal than the original (e.g., "laboratory", "examination"), but 已 or 屋 is actually more literary than 已经 or 屋子.  In Classical Chinese, 已 is a temporal adverb meaning "already" and 已经 a verb phrase meaning "already go through".  In Modern Chinese, 已经 may serve as an adverb synonymous with 已.  In this case, 经 is a meaningless suffix like 子 in 屋子.


Thank you for the clarification. So, I can't talk about abbreviation when the second element of a word is a meaningless suffix. I hope I understood correctly.



jokingbad said:


> 3. In my opinion, regarding to the selection between 已经 and 已，it depends on the verb, how many Chinese word makes up this verb or verb phrase.
> When the verb has only one Chinese word, just as you posted, 已有，有 here is a single word and as a verb. 2 words consists of 已有， and they make the phrase neatly and concisely, consequently, make you read it comfortably.
> When the verb has more than one Chinese word, or there is a modifier after the verb, for sake of neatness and making it in order, then we choose 已经。For instance, 你到了吗？
> -已经到了。
> -已到，勿念······
> （已经到/已到了 sounds not good but correct grammatically.)
> And, conclusion No. 3 is just based on my understanding, there is no specific proof I've found in book or on the internet.



I have something to say about it:
I'm reading a book of a Beijinger author. He usually write "已发现 , 已经是 , 已毁弃了 .." There could possibly be regional differences in usage.


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## jokingbad

I have something to say about it:
I'm reading a book of a Beijinger author. He usually write "已发现 , 已经是 , 已毁弃了 .." There could possibly be regional differences in usage.[/QUOTE]

First, there is no strick rule you have to obey, the conclusion is just based on my limited understanding. What a shame I haven't read for a long time since university. 
Second, as some of the above posts by other members, 已经 and 已 could be exchanged in many context without ruining the meaning and grammar. 

BTW, I consider that 已 is not the abbreviation of 已经， it is omission, because both of 已 and 经 means already finished, but only 已 could be used individually.
You see, even many Chinese couldn't tell you the subtle difference.
Just follow your heart, when you read it fluently and feel it is ok, then it's ok.


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## Thime

Thank you, jokingban, for patiently answering me. You've cleared up my doubts.


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## Skatinginbc

jokingbad said:


> 已 and 经 both are adverbs


When 经 functions as an adverb, it means "always, usually" (e.g., 文選: 「然經怪此意尚未熟悉於足下」).  When 经 means "歷、過" (e.g., 身經百戰、經年累月), it is considered a verb.


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## brofeelgood

In modern usage, 经 as an adverb is commonly paired with something else, e.g. 已经 (already), 曾经 (once) and 经常 (regularly).

已 is not replaceable by 经 when the intended meaning is "already", as per the original quote. As a single word, it's probably intelligible to most, but definitely inappropriately applied.


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## Skatinginbc

brofeelgood said:


> In modern usage, 经 as an adverb is commonly paired with something else


It is a bound morpheme (e.g., -ly in lovely or quickly), not an adverb.


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## brofeelgood

Skatinginbc said:


> It is a bound morpheme (e.g., -ly in lovely or quickly), not an adverb.



Let me rephrase. 经, to be used as an adverb or part of an adverb, needs to be paired with something else.

I wouldn't consider 经 as any sort of morpheme (free or bound) of 已. Both 已 and 已经 are adverbs.


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## retrogradedwithwind

经作为副词可以单用，但意义不同。看看这个用法：
经你一说
经人这么闹事

经=经过，通过


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## Skatinginbc

retrogradedwithwind said:


> 经作为副词可以单用...经你一说; 经人这么闹事...经=经过，通过


经你这么一说我心里就踏实了 vs. 被你这么一说我心里就动摇了.
经人这么闹事 vs. 被人这么闹事.
That means 经 and 被 belong to the same grammatical category, which is "preposition", not "adverb".


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## retrogradedwithwind

这里，经和被应该是不同的。
不过的确，应该是介词。


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