まだ: How to Say 'Still' and 'Not Yet' in Japanese
Two meanings, decided by the verb
まだ is an adverb that points to a state that hasn't changed yet, and it sits near the front of the sentence. Everything else about it hinges on one question: is the verb positive or negative? In front of a positive sentence まだ means "still" — something is continuing. Teamed with the negative 〜ていない form, the same word means "not yet" — something hasn't happened. Here is the whole system on one line each:
| Meaning | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| still (action) | まだ + 〜ている | まだ食べている = still eating |
| still (state) | まだ + adjective / noun | まだ早い = still early |
| not yet | まだ + 〜ていない | まだ食べていない = haven't eaten yet |
| "Not yet." | まだ (alone) | 「もう食べた?」「まだ。」 = "Eaten yet?" "Not yet." |
Those first three rows show up right away in the wild:
ヤッタンはまだ寝ています。
ヤッタンは まだ ねて います。
Yattan is still sleeping.
まだ + positive 〜ている = still doing it.
まだ早いですよ。
まだ はやいですよ。
It's still early.
まだ + an い-adjective also means 'still.'
モチはまだ宿題をしていません。
モチは まだ しゅくだいを して いません。
Mochi hasn't done the homework yet.
まだ + 〜ていない = not yet.
"Still": まだ before an affirmative sentence
Put まだ in front of a positive verb or adjective and it stresses that nothing has changed. One thing to watch: for an action still in progress you need the 〜ている form — "still sleeping" is まだ寝ている, not まだ寝る (which slides into "still about to sleep"). Adjectives and nouns take まだ directly.
先生はまだ教室にいます。
せんせいは まだ きょうしつに います。
The teacher is still in the classroom.
ヤッタンはまだ漢字を覚えています。
ヤッタンは まだ かんじを おぼえて います。
Yattan is still memorizing kanji.
お茶はまだ温かいです。
おちゃは まだ あたたかいです。
The tea is still warm.
"Not yet": まだ with 〜ていない
For "not yet," pair まだ with the negative continuing form 〜ていない (polite: 〜ていません). This says the action hasn't taken place up to now:
ヤッタンの弟はまだ起きていません。
ヤッタンの おとうとは まだ おきて いません。
Yattan's little brother hasn't woken up yet.
モチはまだ昼ご飯を食べていません。
モチは まだ ひるごはんを たべて いません。
Mochi hasn't eaten lunch yet.
You don't always need a full sentence, either. As a quick reply, まだ stands completely alone — 「まだ。」 casually, or 「まだです。」 politely, is a whole, natural "Not yet":
「もう手紙を書いた?」「まだです。」
「もう てがみを かいた?」「まだです。」
'Have you written the letter yet?' 'Not yet.'
まだ (or まだです) is a full answer on its own.
Why 〜ていない and never 〜なかった
This is the single trap worth memorizing. "Not yet" is まだ食べていない, not まだ食べなかった. The difference is aspect: 〜ていない describes a state that still hasn't arrived — the eating is pending, the door is open. 食べなかった seals the matter as a finished past fact ("didn't eat") with no "yet" feeling left in it. If you mean "hasn't happened so far," reach for 〜ていない every time.
Set against もう
まだ has a natural partner in もう, and the two are mirror images. もう means "already" with a positive verb and "no longer / not anymore" with a negative one:
- まだ食べている = still eating → もう食べた = already ate
- まだ食べていない = not yet eaten → もう食べない = doesn't eat anymore
Keep them straight by their core sense: まだ says nothing has changed, もう says it has. A question like もう食べた? ("Have you eaten already?") is naturally answered with either はい、もう食べました ("Yes, already") or いいえ、まだです ("No, not yet").
The short version
- まだ + positive = "still": まだ早い, まだ寝ている.
- まだ + 〜ていない = "not yet": まだ食べていない.
- "Not yet" uses 〜ていない, never 〜なかった.
- まだ alone = "Not yet."
- Opposite is もう = "already / no longer."
Practice it
Choose まだ + the right form for 'still' or 'not yet.'
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
宇宙科学は＿＿＿その緒に就いたばかりである。
Frequently asked questions
Does まだ mean 'still' or 'not yet'?
Both — it depends on the verb. With a positive sentence まだ means 'still' (まだ食べている = still eating). With the negative 〜ていない it means 'not yet' (まだ食べていない = haven't eaten yet).
Why is 'not yet' まだ食べていない and not まだ食べなかった?
'Not yet' describes a state that still hasn't happened, so Japanese uses 〜ていない. 食べなかった means 'didn't eat' — a finished past fact with no 'yet' meaning.
Can まだ be a one-word answer?
Yes. To 「もう食べた?」 ('Eaten yet?') you can simply reply 「まだ。」 or more politely 「まだです。」 meaning 'Not yet.'
What's the difference between まだ and もう?
They are opposites. まだ = 'still' / 'not yet' (no change). もう = 'already' (positive) or 'no longer / not anymore' (negative).
Where まだ fits
Don't confuse it with
- 〜ている · N5 — 〜ている has two big jobs: an ongoing action ('is doing') and a continuing state ('is in a state'). Learn when it means which, how to form it, and see clear examples.
Once this clicks, go on to
- The て-form · N5 — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- もう — もう means 'already' with a positive verb (もう食べた), 'not anymore' with a negative (もう食べない), and 'one more' with numbers (もう一杯). Pairs with まだ.
- 〜あとで — 〜あとで means 'after' doing something: past-form verb + あとで (ご飯を食べたあとで) or noun + のあとで (授業のあとで). Learn the た-form rule and how it differs from 前に.
- 〜前に — 〜前に means 'before': dictionary-form verb + 前に (寝る前に), noun + の前に (食事の前に), and time + 前に (三年前に). Always use the dictionary form — even for past events.
- 〜てから — 〜てから links two actions in order: do X first, then Y. Learn the て-form + から pattern, how it differs from 〜たあとで, and why it is not the から that means 'because'.
- 〜けど / 〜けれど — けど, けれど, and けれども all mean 'but/although,' joining two clauses in increasing order of politeness (けど is most casual). Attach after a plain or polite clause-ending, same as が.