At a glance
もう means "already" with a past verb, "(not) anymore" with a negative verb, and "now" or "soon" with a non-past verb. It is one of the most common time adverbs in everyday Japanese.
もう + Verb (past) → already
もう + Verb (negative) → not anymore
もう + Verb (non-past) → now, soon
もう宿題をしました。 I've already done my homework.
How to form it
もう usually comes before the verb phrase, often right after the topic (は). The meaning depends on what it combines with:
| Combines with | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past affirmative verb | already | もう食べました。 "I've already eaten." |
| Negative verb | not anymore | もう食べません。 "I won't eat anymore." |
| Non-past affirmative verb | now, soon | もう寝ます。 "I'm going to bed now." |
| Time or noun + です | already | もう10時です。 "It's already ten o'clock." |
| すぐ (もうすぐ) + verb or noun | very soon | もうすぐ夏休みです。 "Summer vacation is coming soon." |