A2.20 - Family trip to the zoo

Use of ya, todavía and todavía no

Uso de ya, todavía y todavía no

Palabras comunes para hablar del momento de una acción.

(Common words to talk about the timing of an action.)

What “ya / todavía / todavía no” really express (time + expectation)

These words don’t describe how you do something. They describe where you are on a timeline (often with a feeling of “sooner/later than expected”).

Spanish Core idea Typical English
ya it has happened / it is done now already / now
todavía it continues (it hasn’t stopped) still
todavía no it hasn’t happened up to now (but expected) not yet

Choose fast: completed, continuing, or not happened yet?

  1. Is it completed? → use ya.

    • Ya hemos comprado las entradas. (We’ve already bought the tickets.)

    • Ya has visto a la jirafa. (You’ve already seen the giraffe.)

  2. Is it continuing right now? → use todavía.

    • Todavía vemos monos. (We still see monkeys.)

    • Todavía estamos en la zona de la selva. (We’re still in the jungle area.)

  3. Has it NOT happened up to now? → use todavía no.

    • Todavía no hemos visto al león. (We haven’t seen the lion yet.)

    • Todavía no he comido. (I haven’t eaten yet.)

Where do you place them in the sentence?

  • Ya / todavía usually go before the verb.

    Ya hemos comprado las entradas. / Todavía vemos animales.

  • Todavía no works like one unit and normally goes before the verb.

    Todavía no hemos visto al león.

  • With object pronouns, keep normal order (A2-friendly rule):

    Ya lo he visto. / Todavía no lo he visto.

Why “ya + pretérito perfecto” is so common

In everyday Spanish, ya often appears with pretérito perfecto (he/has/hemos + participle) to report a result that matters now.

  • Ya hemos descrito la flora. (We’ve already described the flora.)

  • Ya he reservado las entradas online. (I’ve already booked the tickets online.)

Common confusion: “ya no” is different

ya no means “no longer” (a change: before yes, now no). It is not the same as todavía no (“not yet”).

Meaning Spanish English
Not yet (expected later) Todavía no hemos visto el león. We haven’t seen the lion yet.
No longer (stopped) Ya no vemos monos. We don’t see monkeys anymore.

Ya no hemos comprado las entradas. (This sounds like “we used to have them bought and now we don’t”, which is not what you mean.)

Quick self-check (before you speak)

  • If your English is already → Spanish is usually ya.

  • If your English is still → Spanish is usually todavía.

  • If your English is not yet → Spanish is usually todavía no.

  • If your English is no longer → Spanish is ya no (different topic, but useful to recognize).

  1. Ya indicates that something happened or is done.
  2. Todavía indicates that something is still happening.
  3. Todavía no expresses that something has not happened yet.
Forma (Form)Ejemplo (Example)
YaYa fuimos al zoológico. (We already went to the zoo.)
TodavíaTodavía vemos animales salvajes. (We are still seeing wild animals.)
Todavía noTodavía no he visto al león. (I haven't seen the lion yet.)
Ya + pretérito perfectoYa hemos descrito la flora. (We have already described the flora.)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. ____ hemos comprado las entradas y podemos entrar a ver la fauna africana.

____ have already bought the tickets and we can go in to see the African wildlife.

2. ____ vemos monos en la zona de la selva porque están muy cerca del cristal.

____ we are seeing monkeys in the jungle area because they are very close to the glass.

3. ____ hemos visto al león; vamos hacia África ahora.

____ we have seen the lion; we're heading to Africa now.

4. ¿____ has admirado a la jirafa o quieres acercarte más?

Have you ____ admired the giraffe or do you want to get closer?

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence with ya, todavía or todavía no.

1.
Error: "ya no" means that it used to be done before and now it isn't; it does not indicate that the purchase hasn't been made.
Error: "todavía" without negation is not used for a completed action; here you should use "ya" or "todavía no".
2.
Error: "ya" indicates a completed action or a change; it is not the most suitable for expressing continuity.
Error: "todavía no" negates the action; it contradicts the idea that we are seeing them.

Exercise 3: Grammar in action

Instruction: Speak for two minutes and decide what to watch now and what to watch later.

Show/Hide translation
Situation
Estás en el zoológico con tu familia y planificáis la visita juntos.
(You are at the zoo with your family and you are planning the visit together.)
Discuss
  • ¿A qué zona ya habéis ido: África, la selva o el desierto? ¿Por qué? (Which area have you already been to: Africa, the jungle, or the desert? Why?)
  • ¿Qué animales todavía estáis admirando y cuál os parece más fascinante? (Which animals are you still admiring and which one seems most fascinating to you?)
Useful words and phrases
  • Ya hemos comprado la entrada. (We’ve already bought the ticket.)
  • Todavía estamos viendo la fauna y la flora. (We’re still looking at the fauna and flora.)
  • Todavía no hemos visto al león. (We haven’t seen the lion yet.)
Use in conversation
  • ya + pretérito perfecto (already + present perfect)
  • todavía (still)
  • todavía no (not yet)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Anja Radovanovic

Language sciences

Ca' Foscari University of Venice

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Wednesday, 15/04/2026 10:26