Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 5: 11/18

()っくにAlready, A long time ago, Long ago

Structure

とっくに + Phrase

Details

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About とっくに

()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 ()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.

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.

Fun-fact

It is uncommon to see とっくに listed with an exact time, as the stem (old Japanese) word ()し already means something close to 'far earlier', or 'at a much earlier time'.

Examples

--:--

    「バス?()っくに()っちゃったよ。」

    'The bus? It has already left.'

    「お(まえ)()っくに()んでいる。」

    'You are already long dead.'

    「うちの()()っくに(ある)けるようになった。」

    'Our child has already developed the ability to walk!'

    魔王(まおう)勇者(ゆうしゃ)栄光(えいこう)時代(じだい)()っくに()ぎた。」

    'The golden era of heroes and demon kings has already passed.'

    「よく()るために、暗号(あんごう)通貨(つうか)から()っくに撤退(てったい)した。」

    'In order to sleep well, I have already pulled out of cryptocurrency.'

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