Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use these three words to show how recent an action is or if it happened sooner than expected.
- Use 'just' for things that happened a moment ago: 'I've just arrived.'
- Use 'already' for things that happened sooner than expected: 'I've already finished.'
- Use 'yet' for things you expect to happen soon: 'Have you finished yet?'
Overview
just、already、yetといった副詞をPresent Perfect（現在完了形）と組み合わせて使うことは、日常会話やビジネスシーンで非常に重要です。これらは、単なる「過去の出来事」を伝えるだけでなく、その出来事が「今、どのような状態にあるか」という話し手の感情や状況認識を相手に伝えるための「スパイス」のような役割を果たします。日本語には、これらと完全に一対一で対応する文法カテゴリーが存在しないため、多くの日本人学習者が苦戦するポイントです。例えば、日本語では「もう食べた」で済むところが、英語では文脈や話し手の意図に応じて I have already eaten なのか、あるいは単に I ate なのかを使い分ける必要があります。日本語の「もう」や「まだ」という言葉は非常に便利で万能ですが、英語のこれらの副詞は、現在完了形の持つ「過去から現在へのつながり」という感覚をより強固にする役割を持っています。この感覚を掴むことは、B1レベルから一段上のレベルへステップアップするための鍵となります。特に、就活の面接や、職場での報告、あるいはSNSでのやり取りにおいて、これらの副詞を使いこなすことで、あなたの英語はより自然で、ネイティブに近い響きを持つようになります。本稿では、これらがどのように機能し、日本語の感覚とどう違うのかを詳しく解説していきます。just、already、yetは、現在完了形の中で、動作が「いつ」完了したか、あるいは「完了しているか」という時間的なニュアンスを調整します。日本語の「ちょうど」「もう」「まだ」という言葉と似ていますが、使い方のルールには明確な違いがあります。Just: 日本語の「たった今」に相当します。動作が完了してから非常に短い時間が経過したことを表します。現在完了形が持つ「過去の動作が現在の状況に影響を与えている」という感覚を強調し、「今まさに終わったばかりだから、その結果がここに残っている」というニュアンスを含みます。例えば、I have just finished my report と言えば、報告書を書き終えて、まだパソコンの画面を閉じたくらいの臨場感が伝わります。Already: 日本語の「もう」に相当します。これは「予想よりも早いタイミングで完了した」という驚きや、「既に終わったことだから、これ以上やる必要はない」という完了の強調を表します。日本語では「もう」を否定文でも使いますが、英語の already は主に肯定文で使われる点に注意が必要です。Yet: 日本語の「まだ」に相当します。ただし、現在完了形と共に使う場合は「期待されていることがまだ実現していない」という状態を指します。日本語では肯定文でも「まだ」を使いますが、英語の yet は主に否定文と疑問文で、「完了していない」または「完了したかどうかの確認」という文脈で使われます。have/has + past participle です。これらの副詞は、この構造の中にルールに従って配置されます。just | 肯定文 | have/has と過去分詞の間 | I have just arrived. |already | 肯定文 | have/has と過去分詞の間 | She has already left. |yet | 否定文 | 文末 | I haven't finished yet. |yet | 疑問文 | 文末 | Have you eaten yet? |just と already は動詞の「中」に割って入り、yet は文の「最後」に置かれます。この配置ルールは、日本語の「私はもう食べた」のように副詞が文頭や主語の直後に来る感覚とは大きく異なります。英語では「動詞の周辺」に情報を付加する性質があることを意識してください。I have already sent the email と言えば、「既に送ったので、後は相手の返信を待つだけです」という完了の事実を明確に伝えられます。また、友達との待ち合わせで、Have you arrived yet? と聞けば、相手がまだ来ていないことを前提としつつ、到着を待っているという期待を込めることができます。Just は、例えばコンビニで買い物を終えて店を出た瞬間に友達から電話がかかってきた際、I have just left the store と言うことで、「今出たばかりだから、すぐに戻れるよ」といった状況を説明するのに最適です。Already は、予想外の速さで何かが終わった時にも使います。You have already finished your homework? と言えば、「もう宿題終わったの？早いね！」という驚きの気持ちが自然に含まれます。このように、これらの副詞は単なる時間の経過ではなく、話し手の感情や状況判断を相手に伝えるための重要なツールなのです。- 1否定文での
alreadyの使用: 日本語の「もう〜ない」という感覚からI haven't already finishedと言ってしまうミスです。英語では否定文での「まだ」にはyetを使い、I haven't finished yetとするのが正解です。これは日本語の「もう」が否定文でも使えることによる干渉です。
- 1過去の特定の時を示す語との併用:
I have just finished it yesterdayというミスです。現在完了形は「現在」とのつながりを重視するため、yesterdayやat 5:00のような「過去の特定の時点」を示す言葉とは一緒に使えません。この場合はI finished it yesterdayと過去形にする必要があります。
- 1
yetを肯定文で使う: 日本語の「まだ」を肯定文で使う感覚（例：まだやっている）をそのまま持ち込み、I have finished yetと言ってしまうミスです。肯定文で「まだ〜している」と言いたい場合は、stillを使ってI am still working on itと表現するのが自然です。
Already、Just、Yet の使い分けを理解するために、以下の比較表を確認しましょう。already | just | yet |Already は「完了したこと」を強調し、Yet は「未完了であること」を強調します。このコントラストを理解することが大切です。Just はその中間、つまり「完了したばかり」という境界線上にあります。これらの副詞を使い分けることで、あなたの英語はより論理的かつ感情豊かなものになります。まずは、日常のちょっとした出来事をこれらの副詞を使って表現する練習から始めてみてください。例えば、「今、電車に乗ったところだ」なら I have just got on the train と言えますね。こうして少しずつ練習を積み重ねることで、自然と口から出てくるようになります。頑張りましょう！Already を文末に置くことはできますか？Have you finished already? のように、予想よりも早いことに対する驚きを強調したい時に使われます。Just を過去形と一緒に使えますか？I just finished it のように過去形と just を一緒に使うことがよくあります。しかし、文法的に正確な現在完了形との組み合わせをまずは優先して習得することをお勧めします。Yet は肯定文で絶対に使えないのですか？I have yet to see it（まだ見ていない＝これから見る予定だ）という特別な慣用句を除き、日常会話の肯定文で yet を使うのは避けるべきです。通常の肯定文では already を使いましょう。Placement of Just, Already, and Yet
| Adverb | Sentence Type | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Just
|
Affirmative
|
Between have/has and V3
|
I have just finished.
|
|
Already
|
Affirmative
|
Between have/has and V3
|
She has already left.
|
|
Already
|
Interrogative
|
End of sentence (Surprise)
|
Have you finished already?
|
|
Yet
|
Negative
|
End of sentence
|
They haven't arrived yet.
|
|
Yet
|
Interrogative
|
End of sentence
|
Has he called yet?
|
Contractions with Adverbs
| Full Form | Contraction | With Adverb |
|---|---|---|
|
I have just
|
I've just
|
I've just eaten.
|
|
He has already
|
He's already
|
He's already gone.
|
|
We have not... yet
|
We haven't... yet
|
We haven't started yet.
|
Meanings
These adverbs modify the Present Perfect tense to provide specific context about the timing of an action relative to the present moment and the speaker's expectations.
Immediate Past (Just)
Indicates that an action was completed a very short time before the present moment.
“I've just seen a shooting star!”
“The bus has just left the station.”
Earlier than Expected (Already)
Used in affirmative sentences to show that something happened sooner than the speaker or listener anticipated.
“It's only 9 AM and I've already had three coffees.”
“They have already booked their flights for next summer.”
Expectation of Completion (Yet)
Used in negative sentences and questions to refer to an action that is expected to happen but hasn't happened until now.
“I haven't received the email yet.”
“Has the mail arrived yet?”
Reference Table
| 副詞 | 意味 | 位置 | 文の種類 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Just
|
たった今
|
have/has と過去分詞の間
|
肯定文
|
I've just arrived.
|
|
Already
|
すでに（思ったより早く）
|
have/has と過去分詞の間（または文末）
|
肯定文・疑問文
|
She's already finished.
|
|
Yet
|
まだ（疑問文では「もう」）
|
文末
|
否定文・疑問文
|
Has he called yet?
|
|
Still
|
まだ（継続中）
|
主語とhaveの間（通常）
|
肯定文・否定文
|
I still haven't eaten.
|
|
Ever
|
今までに
|
have/has と過去分詞の間
|
疑問文
|
Have you ever been?
|
|
Never
|
一度も〜ない
|
have/has と過去分詞の間
|
肯定文（意味は否定）
|
I've never seen it.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
We have already completed the initial phase of the project. (Work/School)
I've already finished my homework. (Work/School)
Done it already! (Work/School)
Already did that, boss. (Work/School)
現在完了形の副詞：タイミング・ナビゲーター
Just (ごく最近)
- I've just arrived. Arrival happened moments ago.
- She's just texted. Message received right now.
Already (思ったより早く)
- He's already eaten. Eating finished before expected.
- They've already seen it. Watched before this point.
Yet (未完了・期待)
- Has it started yet? Question about expected start.
- It hasn't arrived yet. Negative: still waiting.
完璧なタイミング：副詞の比較
副詞の選び方フローチャート
その動作は「たった今」起きましたか？
その動作はすでに（予想より早く）終わっていますか？
疑問文、または「まだ起きていない」ことを言う否定文ですか？
副詞の使用シーン：現在完了形編
最新ニュース
- • I've just seen the news.
- • She's just updated her profile.
完了したタスク
- • We've already eaten lunch.
- • He's already done his homework.
保留中のアクション
- • Has the movie started yet?
- • They haven't finished yet.
驚きのスピード
- • You've already finished?
- • She's already arrived!
レベル別の例文
I have just eaten.
He has just arrived.
We have just started.
I have just seen the teacher.
I haven't finished my milk yet.
Have you cleaned your room yet?
She has already called me.
They have already left the party.
I've already seen this episode three times.
Has the train arrived yet? It's ten minutes late.
I've just heard the most amazing news!
We haven't decided on a wedding date yet.
I've already told him twice, but he won't listen.
The government hasn't passed the new law yet.
I've just been thinking about our conversation from yesterday.
Have you finished that book already? You only started it this morning!
The implications of the study have yet to be fully understood.
I had already reached the summit when the storm broke.
He's just the person I was looking for.
We haven't quite managed to secure the funding yet.
The project, having just received approval, is now in its nascent stages.
I've already had quite enough of your insolence.
Whether the market has bottomed out yet remains a matter of fierce debate.
She has just that touch of elegance that the role requires.
間違えやすい
Learners often use 'still' where 'already' is needed because both relate to time.
Both can be used in questions, but they change the meaning.
'Just' is used with Present Perfect, but 'just now' is usually used with Simple Past.
よくある間違い
I already have eaten.
I have already eaten.
I have eaten yet.
I have already eaten.
I not have finished yet.
I haven't finished yet.
I have just finish.
I have just finished.
Have you yet finished?
Have you finished yet?
I've just saw him.
I've just seen him.
She already has left.
She has already left.
I haven't already done it.
I haven't done it yet.
I've just finished it yesterday.
I finished it yesterday.
Has he yet arrived?
Has he arrived yet?
I yet haven't seen the results.
I haven't yet seen the results.
文型パターン
I have already ___.
Have you ___ yet?
I haven't ___ yet, but I'm going to.
He has just ___.
Real World Usage
I've just left the house, see you soon!
I have already managed several teams in my previous role.
Has the pizza arrived yet?
Just posted a new photo!
We haven't boarded the plane yet.
We've already hit our targets for this month.
副詞を置く場所に注目！
具体的な過去の時間はNG！
疑問文で練習しよう
Has the bus come yet?
情報のスピード感
ニュアンスのわずかな違い
Smart Tips
Always use the Present Perfect with 'just'.
Use 'already' for the checkmarks and 'yet' for the empty boxes.
Move 'already' to the end of the question.
Use 'Not yet' as a polite, short answer.
発音
Contraction Stress
In 'I've just', the 've' is almost silent. The stress falls on 'just'.
Yet Intonation
In questions, 'yet' usually has a rising intonation.
Surprise with Already
You've finished ALREADY? ↗
Expresses shock that the action was so fast.
暗記しよう
記憶術
J.A.Y. - Just, Already, Yet. Just and Already stay inside the 'have' sandwich; Yet stays at the end of the line.
視覚的連想
Imagine a sandwich. The bread is 'Have' and the 'Past Participle'. 'Just' and 'Already' are the ham and cheese in the middle. 'Yet' is the napkin sitting on the table at the end.
Rhyme
Just and Already in the middle they stay, but Yet at the end is the only way.
Story
I just woke up. I've already brushed my teeth, but I haven't had my coffee yet. This sequence covers the morning routine of every English speaker.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look at your to-do list. Say one thing you've already done, one thing you've just done, and one thing you haven't done yet.
文化メモ
British speakers are very strict about using Present Perfect with 'just', 'already', and 'yet'. Using Simple Past ('I already ate') sounds very American to them.
In the US, it is extremely common to use the Simple Past with these adverbs, especially in casual speech.
Using 'already' in a workplace can signal efficiency, but using 'yet' in a question can sometimes sound impatient if not phrased politely.
The Present Perfect construction (have + participle) developed in Old English but became standard in Middle English. 'Already' comes from 'all' + 'ready' (fully prepared).
会話のきっかけ
Have you seen any good movies yet this year?
What's something you've just started learning?
Have you already planned your next vacation?
Is there a book everyone has read that you haven't read yet?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesI haven't seen that movie ___, but I want to.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
I've just saw a ghost!
yet / they / arrived / haven't
Match: 1. Just, 2. Already, 3. Yet
A: Do you want some cake? B: No thanks, I've ___ had a big lunch.
You can use 'yet' in affirmative (positive) sentences.
I finished the report (sooner than expected).
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesWe've ___ booked our flights for the summer trip!
They haven't decided the new schedule already.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'たった今、昼食を食べたところです。'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentence beginnings with their appropriate adverb and ending:
A: "Are you ready for the presentation?" B: "Almost! I've ___ printed the slides."
My friend hasn't returned my text just.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate: '休暇にどこへ行くか、まだ決めていないの？'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the adverb with its primary function:
Score: /12
よくある質問 (8)
Yes! Use it when you are surprised. `Have you finished already?` means 'Wow, that was fast!'
`Just` is much more immediate (seconds or minutes ago). `Recently` can mean days or weeks ago.
Only as a conjunction meaning 'but' (e.g., `Yet, he didn't give up`). As a time marker, it stays at the end.
In British English, yes. In American English, it's perfectly fine. For exams, use `I've just done it`.
Because `yet` implies that the action will happen in the future, while `already` implies it happened in the past.
No, `just` as a time marker for 'a moment ago' is only for past or perfect tenses.
In the Simple Past, it goes before the verb: `I already ate`.
99% of the time, yes. In very formal English, you might see `I have not yet seen it`, but it's rare.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ya / todavía no
English 'already' cannot mean 'now'.
déjà / pas encore
French uses a specific verb (venir) to express 'just'.
schon / noch nicht
German 'noch' is more versatile than English 'yet'.
mou / mada
Japanese uses 'mada' with the negative form of the verb to mean 'not yet'.
qad / lamma
Arabic uses particles rather than adverbs in a 'have' sandwich.
yǐjīng / hái méiyǒu
Chinese markers are placed before the verb, never at the end.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
関連動画
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