N4-G-023
まだ＋Negative Form (Not yet)
Core / Progress & Status
👀 Layer A: Visual Guide
📝 Quick Summary
This grammar point expresses that an expected action has not yet occurred. While “Mada” can mean “still” when used with positive verbs, it strictly means “not yet” when paired with a negative verb.
Structure: まだ + [Verb Negative Form]
Example 1: まだ たべて いません (I haven’t eaten yet).
Example 2: まだ わかりません (I don’t know yet).
🔗 Connected Grammar:
🔍 Layer B: Deepening
💡 Raya’s Hack
The “Te-imasen” Upgrade
Technically, you can use “Mada” with a simple negative (Mada kimasen). However, to sound like a true N4 speaker, you should use the ~te imasen form.
– ⭕ まだ きません (He doesn’t come yet – sounds a bit textbook).
– 🌟 まだ きて いません (He hasn’t arrived yet – sounds natural).
The “~te imasen” form focuses on the ongoing state of the action not being finished. Use this for things like eating, arriving, finishing work, or cleaning!
🚧 Joy’s Mistake
Scene: Joy is explaining that he is still a student.
Joy: 「ぼくは まだ がくせい じゃありません。」
(Boku wa mada gakusei ja arimasen.)
❌ Wrong Meaning!
Why?
If you use “Mada” with a negative noun/adjective, it means “I am not X yet (but I will be).” Joy’s sentence actually means “I am not a student yet (but I will become one soon).”
To say “I am STILL a student,” you must use the positive form: 「まだ がくせいです。」
🔥 Layer C: Practice Loop
Master the “Not Yet” status! (Hiragana and English only)
Level 1: Basic Negative Pairing
Q1. Not yet (mada) + Don’t eat (tabemasen)
Q2. Not yet (mada) + Don’t know (wakarimasen)
Q3. Not yet (mada) + Won’t go (ikimasen)
Q4. Not yet (mada) + Hasn’t come (kite imasen)
Q5. Not yet (mada) + Hasn’t finished (owatte imasen)
Level 2: Full Sentences
Q6. I haven’t eaten lunch yet. (ひるごはん)
Q7. Tanaka-san hasn’t come yet.
Q8. I haven’t finished my homework yet. (しゅくだい)
Q9. The bus hasn’t arrived yet. (バス / つく)
Q10. I don’t know the answer yet. (こたえ)
