ya
already
Emphasizes an action's transition to "happening" from "not happening"
Encoding Strategies:
repetition
Ya emphasizes the change that occurs when something happens, implying it wasn't happening earlier.
ya
already (past)
Something has happened, but earlier it hadn't.
- Ya terminé la tarea = I already finished my homework (prior to then I hadn't finished it)
- Ya llegaron = They already arrived (prior to then they hadn't arrived)
now, right now (present)
Something is happening now, but a moment ago it wasn't.
- Ya sé la respuesta = I know the answer now (a moment ago I didn't know it)
- Tenemos que irnos ya = We have to leave now (a moment ago we didn't have to leave)
someday, eventually, at some point (future)
Something will happen, but it hasn't yet.
- Ya verás cómo todo sale bien = You'll see how everything works out fine (but as of now you can't see it)
- Ya lo entenderás cuando seas mayor = You'll understand eventually when you're older (but as of now you don't understand)
ya no
no longer, not anymore, anymore (negation)
Something is no longer happening, but earlier it was.
- Ya no vivimos en esa ciudad = We no longer live in that city (but before, we did live there)
- Ya no me quiere = She doesn't love me anymore (but before, she did love me)
ya que
since, now that, given that (causal)
Now that something has happened, something follows from it.
- Ya que estás aquí, ayúdame = Since you're here, help me (now that you're here, as opposed to not being here)
- Ya que lo sabes, cuéntame todo = Now that you know, tell me everything (now that you know, as opposed to not knowing)