이미 vs 벌써

Korean has two words for “already”: 이미 and 벌써. Luckily, the difference is easy to get 👍.

✅ Both Can Mean “Already”

• 이미 다 했어요 → I already did all of it.

• 벌써 다 했어요 → I already did all of it.

Both are correct in this context, though 이미 is more commonly used when simply stating a fact.

😲 Surprise with 벌써

벌써 has an extra nuance—it can show surprise at how quickly something was done:

• 벌써 다 했어요?!?! → You already did all of it?!

This expresses shock or disbelief that the action finished so fast.

🎧 Tone Matters

It’s usually easy to tell which meaning 벌써 has—just listen to the tone:

• Calm → simply means already.

• Surprised → means already?? so fast?!

⚡️ Quick Recap:

• 이미 = plain already, factual, no surprise.

• 벌써 = already, often with surprise or disbelief.

🔍 Small Nuance Notes

1. Frequency of use:

   • Both are common, but 벌써 is often used in spoken Korean, while 이미 can feel a bit more formal or “written.”

2. 벌써 for ongoing states:

   • 벌써 can also mean “already (so soon, earlier than expected)” in time expressions:

     • 벌써 10시예요 = “It’s already 10 o’clock.”

     • 벌써 일어났어요? = “You’re already awake?”