もう: How to Say 'Already' and 'Not Anymore' in Japanese
Read the verb, then read もう
もう is a tiny adverb, but it doesn't carry a fixed translation — it reacts to the verb next to it. Before a positive verb it says something has already happened; before a negative verb it says something is no longer the case; and in front of a number or counter it simply means "more." Nothing conjugates — もう just sits out front and lets the sentence around it decide the reading. So the habit to build is: check the verb's polarity first, and the meaning of もう falls out automatically.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| もう + positive verb (often past) | already (done) | もう着いた = already arrived |
| もう + negative verb | not anymore / no longer | もう食べない = won't eat anymore |
| もう + number/counter | one more / another | もう一杯 = one more cup |
ヤッタンはもう宿題をした。
ヤッタンは もう しゅくだいを した。
Yattan already did the homework.
モチはもうここにいない。
モチは もう ここに いない。
Mochi isn't here anymore.
Negative verb → 'not anymore.'
先生、もう一度お願いします。
せんせい、もう いちど おねがいします。
Teacher, one more time, please.
もう + number = 'one more.'
もう + affirmative: "already"
With a positive verb — very often in the past tense — もう marks an action as already finished:
ヤッタンはもう晩ごはんを食べた。
ヤッタンは もう ばんごはんを たべた。
Yattan already ate dinner.
弟はもう寝た。
おとうとは もう ねた。
My little brother already went to sleep.
もう着いた？
もう ついた？
Have you arrived already?
A common question — 'already?' / 'yet?'
In a question, もう着いた？ asks "Are you there already / yet?" — a very common use. Notice that the answer meaning "not yet" is not もう but まだ; that swap is where the exam trap lives, and we come back to it below.
もう + negative: "not anymore"
Flip the verb to the negative and もう flips with it, to "not anymore / no longer." The action used to happen, and it has since stopped:
ヤッタンはもうお酒を飲まない。
ヤッタンは もう おさけを のまない。
Yattan doesn't drink alcohol anymore.
モチはもう子どもじゃない。
モチは もう こどもじゃ ない。
Mochi isn't a child anymore.
お金がもうない。
おかねが もう ない。
There's no money left / no more money.
もう + ない = 'no more, none left.'
This is why もう食べた ("already ate") and もう食べない ("won't eat anymore") feel like opposite sentences built from the same word: only the verb's polarity changed.
もう + a number: "one more"
Set もう in front of a number or counter and it means "more" — an additional one: もう一つ ("one more"), もう一杯 ("one more cup"), もう一度 ("one more time"):
ヤッタンはコーヒーをもう一杯飲んだ。
ヤッタンは コーヒーを もう いっぱい のんだ。
Yattan drank one more cup of coffee.
モチ、もう少し待って。
モチ、もう すこし まって。
Mochi, wait a little more.
もう少し = 'a little more' — very common.
Don't drop the もう here: 一杯 on its own just means "one cup," and もう少し ("a little more") loses its "more" entirely without it. The もう is exactly what adds the extra one.
もう vs まだ
もう has a natural partner, so learn them as a pair. まだ is its mirror image: "still" with a positive verb, "not yet" with a negative one.
- もう食べた？ ("Have you eaten already?") ↔ いいえ、まだ ("No, not yet.")
- もう寝た。("Already went to sleep.") ↔ まだ起きてる。("Still awake.")
- もういない。("Not here anymore.") ↔ まだいる。("Still here.")
Two slips follow from mixing them up. First, "still here" is まだいる, never もういる — the "still" idea belongs entirely to まだ. Second, in the reply slot: to もう着いた？ ("there yet?"), the word for "not yet" is まだ, not もう. Rule of thumb — reach for まだ when you mean "still / not yet," and for もう when you mean "already / not anymore."
The short version
- もう + positive verb (often past) = already (もう食べた).
- もう + negative verb = not anymore / no longer (もう食べない、もういない).
- もう + number = one more / another (もう一杯、もう一度).
- Its partner まだ = still / not yet — the natural opposite of もう.
Practice it
Pick the right reading of もう: 'already,' 'not anymore,' or 'one more.'
＿＿＿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.
ジャーン。それじゃ春田くん、＿＿＿見てもいいわよ。みんなの浴衣、お披露目ねぇ〜。
Frequently asked questions
Does もう mean 'already' or 'not anymore'?
Both — it depends on the verb. With a positive verb (often past) it means 'already': もう食べた ('already ate'). With a negative verb it means 'not anymore': もう食べない ('won't eat anymore').
What's the difference between もう and まだ?
They're opposites. もう = 'already' / 'not anymore.' まだ = 'still' (with a positive verb) or 'not yet' (with a negative verb). To もう着いた？ ('there yet?'), the answer 'not yet' is まだ.
How do I say 'one more'?
Put もう before a number or counter: もう一つ ('one more'), もう一杯 ('one more cup'), もう一度 ('one more time'). もう少し means 'a little more.'
Is もう always in the past tense?
No. The 'already' meaning often uses the past (もう食べた), but the 'not anymore' meaning uses a present negative (もう飲まない), and 'one more' has no fixed tense (もう一杯ください).
Where もう 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
- ある vs いる · N5 — Japanese has two existence verbs: いる for living things (people, animals) and ある for objects, plants, and events. Learn が, に, the negatives, and the classic mistakes.
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜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.
- The て-form — 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.