Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
もう marks a change from a past state — something has already happened or is no longer the case (もう食べた, もう勉強していない), while まだ marks continuity — the same state persists or has not yet begun (まだ食べていない, まだある). The trap is that both can pair with negative verbs, but the meaning flips: もう食べていない means you stopped, whereas まだ食べていない means you haven't started. Choose based on whether the state changed or stayed the same.
- もう Use もう when a state has changed from before — it happened already or no longer happens.
- まだ Use まだ when a state is the same as before — it is still happening or has not happened yet.
もう mou
Already / no longer
(not) anymore; (not) any longer; already; yet; now | Someone or something is no longer in the same state that he or it was in some time ago.
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A:もう宿題をしましたか。 B:はい、もうしました。
A: Have you done your homework yet (or already)? B: Yes, I 've already done it.
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ヒルさんはもう日本語を勉強していない・いません。
Mr. Hill is not studying Japanese any longer.
まだ mada
Still / not yet
Still; (not) yet | Someone or something is in some state he or it was in some time ago.
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A:もう昼ご飯を食べましたか。B:いいえ、まだ食べていません。/いいえ、まだです。
A: Have you eaten your lunch yet? B: No, I haven't eaten it yet./No, not yet.
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お酒はまだありますか。
Do you still have sake?
もう and まだ are both JLPT N5 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.