Definition
久已 is a literary adverbial phrase meaning 'long since' or 'a long time ago already'. It is more formal and bookish than its near-synonym 早已 (zǎoyǐ). You use it before a verb to indicate an action or state started in the distant past and continues to the present or has long been completed. It typically appears in written or formal spoken Chinese, not in casual conversation.
v.p.
long since
Examples
- 久已。Tā jiǔ yǐ líkāi le zhè zuò chéngshì.He left this city long ago.
- 久已。Zhè jiàn shì jiǔ yǐ bú shì mìmì le.This matter has long since ceased to be a secret.
- 久已。Tāmen jiǔ yǐ xíguàn le zhèlǐ de shēnghuó.They have long since gotten used to life here.
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