What does “mada” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “mada” to mean ‘still’, ‘yet’, or such in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners and those who are living in Japan know this word well because native speakers often use it in daily conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain the definition and meanings of this word in detail. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “mada” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “mada”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “mada”.
- mada – まだ : an adverb meaning ‘still’, ‘yet’, ‘even’, or such in Japanese.
Native speakers use this adverb mainly in three ways: to describe something remaining the same as before; to describe something waiting for a change or action; to emphasize its following word with adding the meaning of ‘even’ or such. So, the roles of this adverb in Japanese cover those of “still”, “yet”, and “even” in English. It’s a very flexible and useful word, but can be contextual sometimes.
This adverb can be written in kanji, but Japanese people normally write it in hiragana. Japanese learners therefore can focus on its hiragana expression.
Then, let me explain how to use “mada” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “still” in Japanese
watashi wa mada gakusei deshi ta – 私はまだ学生でした (わたしはまだがくせいでした)
I was still a student.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- gakusei – 学生 (がくせい) : a noun meaning ‘student’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- deshi – でし : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “desu”, which is used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, it is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “gakusei” to make it sound polite.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “deshi” to make its past tense form.
This is a typical usage of “mada”. In this example, it works before “gakusei” to add the meaning of ‘still’. When we want to say “still” in Japanese, this adverb is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “mada”
haru wa mada ko nai – 春はまだ来ない (はるはまだこない)
Spring has not come yet.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- haru – 春 (はる) : a noun meaning ‘spring’ in Japanese.
- ko – 来 (こ) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru”, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese nai form. In the example, this is used after “ko” to deny its meaning.
This is another typical usage of “mada”. In this example, it works in a negative sentence and adds the meaning of ‘not yet’ to the sentence. When this adverb works in a negative sentence, its translation is most probably “not yet”. When we want to say “not yet” in Japanese, therefore, we should consider making a sentence with “mada” and “nai”.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “mada” in detail. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- mada – まだ : an adverb meaning ‘still’, ‘yet’, ‘even’, or such in Japanese. Native speakers use this adverb mainly in three ways: to describe something remaining the same as before; to describe something waiting for a change or action; to emphasize its following word with adding the meaning of ‘even’ or such. So, the roles of this adverb in Japanese cover those of “still”, “yet”, and “even” in English. This is a very flexible and useful word, but can be contextual sometimes.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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