<p>These two words are the same meaning.Both mean something are already end in long time. But '早已' is used in written form more often.And ‘早就' sometime sub mean：complain something doing too late.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<p>你怎么还不走？他早就走了。tell him keep up quickly.</p>

<p>你怎么现在才来？他早就走了。You are too slow.</p>

<p>物是人非，我们的感情早已不能回到从前。Written form.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-28T17:06:13.883Z
2015-03-28T17:06:13.883Z
James Yin
<p>To your specific question:</p>

<p>早已 is more literal. It existed in classical poems, e.g., "小荷才露尖尖角，蜻蜓<strong>早已</strong>立上头".</p>

<p>早就 is more verbal. It is widely existing in modern Chinese.</p>

<p>Nowadays, there is no difference in meaning, unless you are studying classical Chinese.</p>

<p>Spiting the words, 已 and 就 are just like the relationship between 早已 and 早就, one is more literal while they other is more verbal.</p>

<p>As other combinations like 已经, 早已经, these are already off topic.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-30T16:11:25.070Z
2015-05-19T10:08:45.980Z
2015-05-19T10:08:45.980Z
Madwyn
<p>These two words are the same meaning.
早已 often use in written when 早就 often used in spoken.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-19T16:54:14.640Z
2015-05-19T16:54:14.640Z
Syeerzy
<p>But why do I think they are all the same?Maybe "早已” is used more often in the past time and it sounds more literary.They are not so different now.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-24T11:27:26.007Z
2015-03-24T11:27:26.007Z
slyfc
<p>早已 is more formal and is mostly used in written. 
Sometimes we may also use the phrase 早就已经, which is pretty much like the combination of 早已 and 早就.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-24T15:39:19.547Z
2015-05-24T15:39:19.547Z
Yaoxiang Liang
<p>早已 and 早就 are different. They can be exchangeable in practice and may or may not have the same meaning. But their grammar structure are different.</p>

<p>Examples-1:</p>

<p>他搬走了.(He moved) (To answer what happened to him?)</p>

<p>他已经搬走了.(Since he moved, he is no longer here)</p>

<p>他早已经搬走了.(1) (Since he moved, he is no longer here. That happened long time ago.)</p>

<p>他早已搬走了.(same as 1)</p>

<p>Examples-2:</p>

<p>他搬走了.(He moved)</p>

<p>他早搬走了.(He moved)(That happened long time ago.)</p>

<p>他早就搬走了.(He moved)(I am sure that happened long time ago.) (How come you do not even know it ??? )</p>

<p>早已 has the basic meaning of 已经. The combination logic is the 早 is used to modify 已经.</p>

<p>早就 has the basic meaning of 早 as adverb to modify the verb 搬走. 就 is to emphasize and to be very sure about it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-31T10:03:57.897Z
"他早就搬走了" and "他早已搬走了" sound the same to me, except "早已" is somehow more formal.
leetom
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-31T11:45:54.400Z
In some cases, in Chinese, the present-perfect and the simple-past are not quit clear. I agree. Even in English, there are gray areas too.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-31T13:21:07.587Z
I never paid attention to the tense in Chinese, though I am a native speaker. For these two, I would vote both for present-perfect.
leetom
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-01T00:03:45.617Z
Comparing, 他一月十日就搬走了. 他已经搬走三个月了.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-22T15:21:27.727Z
2015-03-22T15:21:27.727Z
PdotWang
<p>To my understanding, both hold the meaning of "already happened long ago". What are the nuances though? Are they interchangeable?</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>他<strong>早已</strong>打定主意了。 (He made up his mind long ago.)</p></li>
<li><p>他<strong>早就</strong>搬走了。 (He moved out long ago.)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Thanks </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-22T03:47:43.460Z
looked up 早已，早就 in iciba？there find many sample sentences as well definitions borrowed from baidu，
早已： long ago ； for a long time ； already
早就：long since，
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-22T04:58:27.243Z
@S.Rhee - thanks, iciba is great. However, these time/duration words are a bit more elusive (to me at least), and a knowledgeable explanation could help understanding the nuance.
Yoav Vollansky
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-22T06:33:04.730Z
the 百科 article concerning 早已 contains 早就 while explaining its meaning 1. [long ago]∶很早就 2. [in the past]〈方〉 早就 and the article concerning 早就 has ＂early on＂很久前就 (1).早熟，早有所成。2).早已经。That is， the definition of either contains the other giving some indication of how much they could differ 。
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-24T09:24:31.080Z
For me, they have same meaning. By the way, combine '就' and '已经' is also ok: 他**早就已经**打定主意了 / 他**早就已经**搬走了
LiuYan 刘研
<meaning><usage><difference>
早已 and 早就: what's the difference?
# 早已 and 早就: what's the difference?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-22)

To my understanding, both hold the meaning of "already happened long ago". What are the nuances though? Are they interchangeable?

Examples:

* 他**早已**打定主意了。 (He made up his mind long ago.)
* 他**早就**搬走了。 (He moved out long ago.)

Thanks

**Tags:** meaning, usage, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: looked up 早已，早就 in iciba？there find many sample sentences as well definitions borrowed from baidu， 早已： long ago ； for a long time ； already 早就：long since，  
> **username_0**: @S.Rhee - thanks, iciba is great. However, these time/duration words are a bit more elusive (to me at least), and a knowledgeable explanation could help understanding the nuance.  
> **username_1**: the 百科 article concerning 早已 contains 早就 while explaining its meaning 1. [long ago]∶很早就 2. [in the past]〈方〉 早就 and the article concerning 早就 has ＂early on＂很久前就 (1).早熟，早有所成。2).早已经。That is， the definition of either contains the other giving some indication of how much they could differ 。  
> **username_2**: For me, they have same meaning. By the way, combine '就' and '已经' is also ok: 他**早就已经**打定主意了 / 他**早就已经**搬走了  

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2015-03-22. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

早已 and 早就 are different. They can be exchangeable in practice and may or may not have the same meaning. But their grammar structure are different.

Examples-1:

他搬走了.(He moved) (To answer what happened to him?)

他已经搬走了.(Since he moved, he is no longer here)

他早已经搬走了.(1) (Since he moved, he is no longer here. That happened long time ago.)

他早已搬走了.(same as 1)

Examples-2:

他搬走了.(He moved)

他早搬走了.(He moved)(That happened long time ago.)

他早就搬走了.(He moved)(I am sure that happened long time ago.) (How come you do not even know it ??? )

早已 has the basic meaning of 已经. The combination logic is the 早 is used to modify 已经.

早就 has the basic meaning of 早 as adverb to modify the verb 搬走. 就 is to emphasize and to be very sure about it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: "他早就搬走了" and "他早已搬走了" sound the same to me, except "早已" is somehow more formal.  
> **username_8**: In some cases, in Chinese, the present-perfect and the simple-past are not quit clear. I agree. Even in English, there are gray areas too.  
> **username_9**: I never paid attention to the tense in Chinese, though I am a native speaker. For these two, I would vote both for present-perfect.  
> **username_8**: Comparing, 他一月十日就搬走了. 他已经搬走三个月了.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-03-28. Score: 2

These two words are the same meaning.Both mean something are already end in long time. But '早已' is used in written form more often.And ‘早就' sometime sub mean：complain something doing too late.

For example:

你怎么还不走？他早就走了。tell him keep up quickly.

你怎么现在才来？他早就走了。You are too slow.

物是人非，我们的感情早已不能回到从前。Written form.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-03-30. Score: 2

To your specific question:

早已 is more literal. It existed in classical poems, e.g., "小荷才露尖尖角，蜻蜓**早已**立上头".

早就 is more verbal. It is widely existing in modern Chinese.

Nowadays, there is no difference in meaning, unless you are studying classical Chinese.

Spiting the words, 已 and 就 are just like the relationship between 早已 and 早就, one is more literal while they other is more verbal.

As other combinations like 已经, 早已经, these are already off topic.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-05-19. Score: 1

These two words are the same meaning.
早已 often use in written when 早就 often used in spoken.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-03-24. Score: 0

But why do I think they are all the same?Maybe "早已” is used more often in the past time and it sounds more literary.They are not so different now.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-05-24. Score: -1

早已 is more formal and is mostly used in written.
Sometimes we may also use the phrase 早就已经, which is pretty much like the combination of 早已 and 早就.


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