Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 5: 11/18

疾(と)っくに

Already, A long time ago, Long ago

Structure

とっくに + Phrase

Details

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    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

About とっくに

疾(と)っくに, seen primarily as とっくに, is an adverb that can be translated roughly as 'long ago'. This word is an emphasized version of 疾(と)うに, a literary form which is not used much in modern Japanese.
とっくに is a sentence altering adverb, so will appear most often at the beginning of sentences, or before the verb it is describing as having happened a long time ago.
  • とっくに食(た)べちゃったよ。
    I already ate.
  • もうとっくに寝(ね)る時間(じかん)じゃん、まだ宿題(しゅくだい)も始(はじ)めてないのに...どうしよう。
    It is already time to sleep. I haven't even started my homework… What should I do?
  • 提出(ていしゅつ)期限(きげん)はとっくに過(す)ぎているのでやってもやらなくても関係(かんけい)がない。
    The due date has long since passed, so it won't matter if I do it or not.
  • 遅(おそ)いぞ！みんなはもうとっくに帰(かえ)ってるぞ！
    You are late! Everyone has already gone home ages ago!
When compared with structures like すでに and もう, とっくに will either indicate something that has happened much further in the past, or may be used simply for exaggeration.
  • そんな事(こと)は言(い)われなくてもとっくに知(し)ってるよ！
    I was aware of this well in the past, so no need to tell me!
Fun-fact - It is uncommon to see とっくに listed with an exact time, as the stem (old Japanese) word 疾(と)し already means something close to 'far earlier', or 'at a much earlier time'.

Examples

  • 90年代(ねんだい)の子供(こども)：「一体(いったい)どこにカルメンがいるの？」誰(だれ)か：「とっくに遠(とお)くへ逃(に)げたぞ」

    90's child: 'Where in the world is Carmen?' Someone: 'She is already long gone.'

  • A：「トムおじさんはどうですか？」B：「彼(かれ)はとっくに死(し)んだ。10年(ねん)前(まえ)にね。」A：「( ಠ_ಠ)」

    A: 'How is uncle Tom?' B: 'He died a long time ago. 10 years back, actually…' A: '( ಠ_ಠ)'

  • 「お前(まえ)はとっくに死(し)んでいる。」

    'You are already long dead.'

  • 歳(とし)をとるにつれて時(とき)の流(なが)れを速(はや)く感(かん)じる。そのため気(き)づけずにオレはとっくに老人(ろうじん)だ。

    As you grow older, it feels like the flow of time gets faster. And so, without noticing, I had already aged.

  • 親(おや)：「部屋(へや)を片付(かたづ)けなさい。」子供(こども)：「とっくに終(お)わったよ！」怒(おこ)った親(おや)：「終(お)わってないでしょ！もっと片付(かたづ)けなさい！」

    Parent: 'Clean your room!' Child: 'I have already finished!' Angry parent: 'You haven't! Clean more!'

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