Welcome to Day 65 of your 100-day JLPT N5 challenge! You’re moving steadily toward fluency, and today’s grammar point, もう, is a small word with a big impact.
もう allows you to express that something has already happened. In English, we often say “already,” as in “I already ate” or “Have you already gone?” In Japanese, もう is used in similar situations, and learning it will help you sound natural and polite in everyday conversation.
Using もう correctly also prepares you for asking polite questions and understanding subtle time-related expressions, which are common in JLPT N5 tests and real-life Japanese.
Main Lesson: Understanding もう
1. Meaning
もう has one main meaning: already.
- Action has been completed earlier than now:
- もうたべました。 → I already ate.
It is often used with positive sentences to emphasize that an action has finished or to ask if it has been done.
Structure
Polite Form (ます/ました style):
- もう + Verb ました → already done
もう しゅくだい を しました。
I already did my homework.
もう ひるごはん を たべました か。
Have you already eaten lunch?
Casual Form:
- もう + Verb た → already done
- もう + Verb てる → already doing (ongoing)
もう しゅくだい を した。
I already did my homework.
もう ひるごはん を たべた？
Have you already eaten lunch?
Common Mistakes
- Using もう with negative forms incorrectly
❌ もうたべません。
✔ もうたべました。 → Correct: already eaten - Mixing up もう and まだ
❌ もうたべていません。 (wrong if you mean “already eaten”)
✔ まだたべていません。 → Not yet eaten
✔ もうたべました。 → Already eaten
Vocabulary list
| Words | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| おくさん | okusan | wife; your wife; his wife |
| なつやすみ | natsuyasumi | summer vacation; summer holiday |
| かぞく | kazoku | family; members of a family |
| にもつ | nimotsu | luggage; baggage |
| かんじ | kanji | kanji |
| ぎんこう | ginkou | bank |
| こんしゅう | konshuu | this week |
| さくぶん | sakubun | writing; composition |
Example Sentence
おくさん は もう かいしゃ に いきましたか？
Has your wife already gone to work?
なつやすみ は もう はじまっています。
Summer vacation has already started.
かぞく は もう たべています。
My family is already eating.
にもつ を もう もちました。
I already carried the luggage.
もう かんじ の れんしゅう を しています。
I am already practicing kanji.
ぎんこう は もう あいています。
The bank is already open.
Conclusion
Learning もう allows you to express that something has already happened, making your Japanese sound natural and fluent. By contrasting it with まだ, you can describe completed and incomplete actions clearly.
Try using もう every day:
- もうひるごはんをたべました。 → I already ate lunch.
- もうくるまがきました。 → The car has already arrived.
Consistency is key. Keep practicing, and your ability to speak and understand real-life Japanese will improve every day!
