Meaning and Usage
The adverb '아직' means 'still' or 'yet' and is used to indicate that a situation or state continues up to the present time. It often appears in negative sentences or questions to express that something expected has not happened yet.
Common Collocations
- 아직도: emphasizes continuation, often stronger than just '아직'.
- 아직 준비가 안 됐어요: a common phrase meaning 'not ready yet'.
- 아직 시간이 있어요: 'there is still time'.
Usage Notes
'아직' is frequently used in everyday conversation to talk about ongoing states or incomplete actions. It is neutral in politeness and can be used in both formal and informal contexts depending on the sentence ending.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '아직' with '벌써' (already). Remember, '아직' implies something has not happened or is continuing, while '벌써' means something has happened sooner than expected.
Summary
Use '아직' to express that something is continuing or has not happened up to now. It is a very common and useful adverb for expressing time-related states in Korean.