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Still / not yet
Definition
The grammar pattern "まだ" is used to express the idea of 'still' or 'not yet'. It can be used in two ways depending on the polarity of the sentence. When used positively, "まだ" is followed by a verb or adjective to indicate that a state continues. For example, "まだ寝ています" means 'I am still sleeping'. When used negatively, "まだ" is followed by "ていません" to indicate that an action has not happened yet. For example, "宿題はまだ終わっていません" means 'The homework has not been finished yet'. This pattern is often contrasted with "もう", which is used to indicate that something has already happened or a state has changed. For example, "もう朝ご飯を食べました" means 'I have already eaten breakfast'.
Structure
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present tense verb | まだ + verb | まだ寝ています |
| Negative present tense verb | まだ + ていません | 宿題はまだ終わっていません |
| Adjective | まだ + adjective | まだ寒いです |
Examples
宿題はまだ終わっていません。
Syutugi wa mada owatte imasen desu.
The homework has not been finished yet.
宿題 (homework) + まだ (still) + 終わっ (finish) + ていません (not yet)
もう朝ご飯を食べましたか。」「いいえ、まだです。
Mō asa gohan o tabemashita ka. | Īe, mada desu.
Have you already eaten breakfast? | No, not yet.
もう (already) + 朝ご飯 (breakfast) + を (object marker) + 食べました (eaten) + か (question marker) | いいえ (no) + まだ (still) + です (polite form)
もう11時ですが、弟はまだ寝ています。
Mō jūichi ji desu ga, otouto wa mada nematte imasu.
It's already 11 o'clock, but my brother is still sleeping.
もう (already) + 11時 (11 o'clock) + ですが (but) + 弟 (brother) + は (topic marker) + まだ (still) + 寝ています (sleeping)
Context
The grammar pattern "まだ" is used to express the idea of 'still' or 'not yet' in Japanese. It is often used in contrast with "もう", which is used to indicate that something has already happened or a state has changed. The pattern can be used in both positive and negative sentences, and is commonly used in everyday conversation.
Watch out
Using "まだ" with the past tense can lead to confusion and incorrect meaning. For example, "宿題はまだ終わった" means 'The homework has already been finished', which is the opposite of the intended meaning.
The two patterns are often confused due to their similar meanings, but they have different uses and nuances. For example, "もう朝ご飯を食べました" means 'I have already eaten breakfast', while "まだ朝ご飯を食べました" means 'I still haven't eaten breakfast'.
Using "まだ" with a negative form of the verb without "ていません" can lead to incorrect meaning. For example, "宿題はまだ終わらない" means 'The homework is still not finished', which is different from the intended meaning of 'The homework has not been finished yet'.
Strategy
When using the grammar pattern "まだ" in the JLPT exam, make sure to use it correctly in context. Pay attention to the nuances of meaning and use "まだ + ていません" to indicate that an action has not happened yet. Also, be careful not to confuse "まだ" with "もう".
In context
Worked examples drawn from JLPT N5 test-style questions. Each sentence shows まだ used correctly, with a brief note on what the pattern is doing.
宿題はまだ終わっていません。
Pattern used: まだ
まだ + ていません means 'not yet'. The homework hasn't finished yet. もう would mean 'already' — opposite meaning.
「もう朝ご飯を食べましたか。」「いいえ、まだです。」
Pattern used: まだ
まだです is the natural short reply for 'not yet'. When asked 'Have you eaten already?', まだです means 'Not yet'.
もう11時ですが、弟はまだ寝ています。
Pattern used: まだ
まだ + ている means 'still doing'. My brother is still sleeping even though it's already 11. The state continues.
Interactive
宿題は______終わっていません。
Adaptive practice
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