The Many Meanings of the Spanish Ya

Already, right now, still, enough — these are just four of the dozens of possible translations of the Spanish ya. Ya, which is usually an adverb but sometimes a conjunction, is one of those words whose meaning depends almost entirely on the context. Sometimes it doesnt have much of a translatable meaning, becoming a filler word something like pues, adding a slight amount of emotional content to a sentence (although the exact nature of the emotional content may be difficult to determine out of the context). Key Takeaways Ya  is usually an adverb, very common in speech, whose meaning depends almost on the context. It can express both resignation and surprise, both agreement and disbelief.The most common translations of  ya  include now, still, and already.Sometimes,  ya  doesnt need to be translated, as it can function as a filler word or a word that adds a vague emotional content rather than a denotation. Most Common Meanings: Now and Already The most common meanings of ya are now and already. Often, it signifies a slight amount of impatience, although it sometimes can indicate satisfaction or agreement with the person being spoken to. As you might have guessed, its a word youll come across more often in informal conversation than you will in formal writing. When the verb of the sentence is in a past tense, already is usually a good translation: Lo he leà ­do ya. (Ive already read it.)El lunes ya lo habrà © visto. (By Monday I will have already seen it.) ¿Ya compraste tu boleto para la loterà ­a? (Did you already buy your ticket for the lottery?)No se puede romper lo ya que està ¡ roto. (You cant break whats already broken.) When the verb refers to an anticipated action, now is a common meaning. If the context or tone of voice suggests impatience, right now can also be used: Ya està ¡ aquà ­. (Shes here now.)Ya salen. (Theyre leaving now.)Lo quiero ya. (I want it right now.)Tienes que estudiar ya. (You need to study right now.) In some situations, you may be able to use either already or now in translation, such as when expressing surprise. The first sentence above, for example, might have been translated as Shes already here. And the question  ¿Sales ya? could mean either Youre leaving now? or Youre leaving already? When being rude,  ¡Corta ya! could be translated as either Shut up now! or Shut up already! Other Translations for Ya There are dozens of other ways you could interpret ya. Here are examples of other ways you could interpret ya: Still, any more (especially when used in the negative): Ya no trabaja aquà ­. (He doesnt work here any more.) Ya no està ¡n ganando dinero en la situacià ³n actual. (They arent making money any more in the current situation.)To note that a wish has been satisfied:  ¡Ya conseguà ­ el trabajo! (I got the job!) Ya entiendo las diferencias. (Finally I understand the differences.)To indicate frustration:  ¡Basta ya! (Enough is enough!)  ¡Ya està ¡ bien! (Thats plenty!)  ¡Ya era hora! (Its about time!)  ¡Vete ya! (Get yourself out of here!)To indicate emphasis:  ¡Ya lo sà ©! (I already know that!) Es difà ­cil, ya verà ¡s. (Its difficult, youll see.) Ya puedes empezar a estudiar. (You had better start studying.) Él no comià ³, que ya es decir. (He didnt eat, which is saying something.) Ya me gustarà ­a ser inteligente. (Id love to be intelligent.)Later (to indicate something will happen in the indefinite future): Ya ocurrirà ¡. (Itll happen.) Ya lo harà ©. (Ill get it done.) Excelente. Ya hablaremos. (Excellent. Well talk later.)To express agreement or incredulity:  ¡Ya, ya! (Oh, sure!) Ya, y el papa es luterano. (Sure, and the pope is Lutheran.) Ya, pero es difà ­cil. (Yes, but its difficult.)To call attention to something, especially when followed by que: Ya que no està ¡ aquà ­, podemos salir. (Considering that hes not here, we can leave.) Ya que conocemos es fà ¡cil, podemos hacerlo. (Since we know its easy, we can do it.)To offer reassurance: Ya aprobarà ¡s el examen. (Youll pass the test.) Ya sabrà ¡s pronto. (Youll know soon.)To emphasize a connection between different facts: Yo quisiera consultarte sobre este tema, ya que mi perro tiene esta conducta en diferentes situaciones. (I would like to talk to you about this, because my dog acts like this in different situations.) La diamante era muy caro, ya lo comprà ©. (It was very expensive, yet I bought it.)