One of the littlest words in Spanish yet it has the biggest impact; ya. Understanding when and how to use it is a great indication of how well you are progressing with your Spanish.
Todavía is a word that you will probably have come across a lot even as a beginner.
Ya means yet and todavía; still. They’re both classed as adverbs but aren’t necessarily used in the way you would expect them to be used. for example;
Ya in the past tense can mean already;
Ya ha olvidado lo que dijiste. She has already forgotten what you said.
Ya in the present tense means now;
¡Anda a limpiar tu dormitorio ya! Go clean your bedroom now!
Ya can also mean right now;
Ya nos tenemos que ir. We have to leave right now.
Ya in the future tense can mean someday;
No te pongas triste. Ya nos volveremos a ver. Don’t be sad. We’ll meet again soon.
or sometime;
Ahora estoy muy ocupada, pero prometo que ya te volveré a visitar. I’m really busy right now, but I promise I’ll visit you again sometime.
Ya can also be used immediately;
“¡Ya voy!” I’m coming or Ya vengo, I’ll be right back.
You can also use ya to express something that is no more;
Ya no me quiere. She doesn’t love me anymore.
Or to emphasise something;
Ya veo I see
Or finally Ya can be used as an interjection, this is mainly used in colloquial terms to express annoyance in Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Mexico
Ya, dejen de pelear. Hey, stop fighting.
Todavía on the other hand has fewer meanings;
It’s main use it to indicate time meaning still;
Todavía tengo que comprarle un regalo. I still have to buy him a present.
Todavía no he visto esa película. I still haven’t seen that movie.
It’s used with negative clauses too;
Todavía no ha pagado por el auto. She hasn’t paid for the car yet.
As a comparative using still;
Yo soy alta pero mi hermana menor es todavía más alta. I’m quite tall but my younger sister is still taller.
It can also mean even;
Es todavía más rico que su tío. He is even richer than his uncle.
And finally it’s used to express something on top of everything, for example;
Te has tocado la lotería y todavía te quejas. You’ve won the lottery and you’re still complaining.
So, there you have it the differences between Ya and Todavía. have a practice and let me know how you get on. And in the meantime, here are some resources to help.
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