Use of ya, todavía and todavía no

Understanding ya, todavía and todavía no at a glance

• ya = already / now (result: finished)
• todavía = still (situation continues)
• todavía no = not yet / still not (expected, but hasn’t happened)

All three words answer the question: “Has the action happened (yet) or not?”

Where do I put ya, todavía and todavía no in the sentence?

At A2, use this simple word order.

• In normal statements (affirmative or negative):
  • ya / todavía / todavía no + verb
  • Example: Ya hemos llegado. (We have already arrived.)
  • Example: Todavía vivimos en Madrid. (We still live in Madrid.)
  • Example: Todavía no he decidido. (I still haven’t decided.)
• In questions, they usually go before the main verb:
  • ¿Ya has comido?
  • ¿Todavía trabajas allí?
  • ¿Todavía no has pagado?

Later, you will see them in other positions for emphasis, but this basic position is safe and natural.

When to use ya: the action is finished

Use ya when something is completed and the result is important now.

• Often with pretérito perfecto (he comido, hemos visto…)
• Often translated as already or now in English.

Self-check:

• Can I say “already” in English? → probably ya.
• Is the action one clear event that is finished? → use ya, not todavía.

When to use todavía: the situation continues

Use todavía for something that started before and is still true now.

• Often translated as still.
• Works very well with actions without a clear “end point” (states or habits).

Self-check:

• Can I say “still …” in English? → probably todavía.
• Is the situation open and continuing (live, work, stay, study)? → use todavía.

When to use todavía no: not yet

Use todavía no when an action is expected, but has not happened yet.

• Usually: todavía no + pretérito perfecto at this level.
• Often translated as not yet or still haven’t.

Self-check:

• Can I say “not yet” in English? → use todavía no.
• Is this something I will probably do later? → use todavía no, not another negative.

Important contrast: ya vs todavía vs todavía no

Look at the different “time feeling” in each sentence.

Notice how the same verb changes meaning with each word.

Very common mistake: todavía with finished, one-time actions

Learners often use todavía with a clear, finished event (buy, arrive, visit).

• Todavía hemos comprado las entradas.
• This sounds like “we are still in the process of having bought the tickets”.
• Correct is:
  • Ya hemos comprado las entradas. (We have already bought the tickets.)

Quick rule:

• One clear, finished event (buy, sign, send, decide) → ya + pretérito perfecto.
• Ongoing status (live, work, stay, be, study) → todavía.

Another contrast: todavía no vs ya no

In this unit you focus on todavía no, but you will also see ya no.

For this chapter, concentrate on todavía no = not yet.

Link with the Spanish tenses you see here

You mainly see these combinations in this unit:

• ya + pretérito perfecto: result is done now
  • Ya hemos descrito la flora. (We have already described the flora.)
• todavía + presente: situation continues now
  • Todavía vemos animales salvajes. (We still see wild animals.)
• todavía no + pretérito perfecto: not yet, but possible
  • Todavía no he visto al león. (I still haven’t seen the lion.)

These three “blocks” are a safe model to copy in your own sentences.

Step-by-step: choose the right word

1. Is the action done?
   • Yes, finished → use ya.
   • No → go to step 2.
2. Is it something you expect to happen later?
   • Yes (you plan to do it) → use todavía no.
   • No, it is just continuing → go to step 3.
3. Is the situation continuing from before?
   • Yes → use todavía.

Example 1

• You are in a meeting that started at 10:00. It is 10:45 and the meeting continues.
• Finished? → No.
• Expected to happen later? → You expect it to end, but now you describe that it continues.
• Continuing situation? → Yes.
• Sentence: La reunión todavía continúa. (The meeting is still going on.)

Example 2

• You are waiting for a colleague. It is 9:10. The colleague is not in the office.
• Arrived? → No.
• Do you expect them later? → Yes.
• Sentence: Mi colega todavía no ha llegado. (My colleague hasn’t arrived yet.)

Example 3

• You sent the email 5 minutes ago.
• Done? → Yes.
• Sentence: Ya he enviado el correo. (I have already sent the email.)

Mini self-test: can you feel the difference?

Try to say the three versions with the same verb. Check the meaning each time.

• Visitar el museo
  • Ya he visitado el museo. → Finished visit.
  • Todavía visito el museo cada semana. → Ongoing habit.
  • Todavía no he visitado el museo. → Not yet.
• Trabajar en la empresa
  • Ya he trabajado para esa empresa. → I have (at some point) worked for them, that fact is done.
  • Todavía trabajo para esa empresa. → I still work there now.
  • Todavía no he trabajado para esa empresa. → I haven’t worked for them yet, but it is possible in the future.

What to pay special attention to

• Do not mix up todavía and todavía no:
  • Todavía estudio español. = I still study Spanish.
  • Todavía no estudio francés. = I do not study French yet.
• Do not use todavía hemos comprado, todavía comimos for finished actions.
  • Use ya with these: Ya hemos comprado…, Ya hemos comido…
• In this unit, with pretérito perfecto, prefer:
  • ya + he/has/hemos…
  • todavía no + he/has/hemos…

Checklist: can I use them in conversation?

If you can do these, you are ready to use them in class:

• Say 3 things you have already done today with ya + pretérito perfecto.
  • Example: Ya he tomado café. / Ya he enviado dos correos.
• Say 3 situations that are still true for you with todavía + presente.
  • Example: Todavía vivo con mis padres. / Todavía trabajo desde casa.
• Say 3 things you haven’t done yet this week with todavía no + pretérito perfecto.
  • Example: Todavía no he ido al gimnasio. / Todavía no he hecho la compra.

If you can produce these sentences fluently, you have the core of ya, todavía and todavía no under control.