GrammarJLPT N5
→ still
Still / Not Yet
JLPT N5AdverbNeutral
まだ is a fundamental adverb that expresses the idea that a state or action continues from the past up to the present moment, or that an expected change has not yet occurred. In affirmative sentences, まだ means "still" — the situation remains the same. In negative sentences, まだ means "not yet" — something expected to happen has not happened so far. It can also carry the nuance of "more" or "further" when referring to remaining quantity or additional degree. まだ is frequently contrasted with もう, which indicates that a change has already taken place ("already") or that something is no longer the case ("not anymore"). Understanding the まだ vs. もう contrast is essential for expressing time-related states in Japanese. まだ is used across all registers and is almost always written in kana.
Functions
#1 Indicating a continuing state (still)
Structure
まだ + Affirmative predicate
外はまだ寒いです。
Here まだ indicates that the state of being cold has continued and has not changed. The speaker expected it might have gotten warmer by now, but the cold persists. This is the most basic and common use of まだ in affirmative sentences, signaling that a prior condition remains in effect at the time of speaking.It is still cold outside.
Structures
- Affirmative (still)
- まだ + Affirmative sentence
- Negative (not yet)
- まだ + Negative sentence (～ていない / ～ない)
Common mistakes
A very common mistake is confusing まだ with もう. Remember that まだ + affirmative means "still" (no change), while もう + affirmative/past means "already" (change happened). Similarly, まだ + negative means "not yet," while もう + negative means "not anymore." Another error is using まだ with the plain past tense in negative sentences; learners should use まだ + ていない (not yet done) rather than まだ + なかった, which sounds unnatural in most contexts. Finally, beginners sometimes place まだ at the end of a sentence like a particle, but it should come before the verb or adjective it modifies.
Related
もうまだ～ていないもう～たまだまだいまだにもはや