既
Mnemonic
A footballer sprints to the stadium, but a soldier standing guard shakes his head—the match is already over. The footballer collapses in disbelief. The soldier sighs, "It already ended an hour ago." Every goal scored, every fan gone. Nothing left but echoes.
Additional thoughts
Picture the footballer arriving too late, the soldier as gatekeeper confirming the fait accompli. The empty stadium drives home the finality of something already completed and irreversible.Quick recall
A footballer arrives but the soldier says the game is already over.Details
The keyword for 既 is already. This kanji conveys the sense of something that has been completed or has come to pass, indicating that an action or state is finished and done with. It carries the nuance of "by now" or "previously," pointing to events or conditions that have already occurred and cannot be undone. It frequently appears in contexts expressing prior completion, fait accompli, or established facts.
- On'yomi
- き
- Kun'yomi
- すで.に