What's the difference between ya and todavía in Spanish?

Ya = already (action completed) or now. Todavía = still (action ongoing) or yet (in negative contexts). The negatives flip: ya no = no longer (it was, now it isn't); todavía no = not yet (it isn't, might be).

What's the difference between ya no and todavía no?

Ya no = no longer / not anymore (action stopped after happening before). Todavía no = not yet (action hasn't happened, might still happen). These express opposite changes of state and are commonly confused.

Is aún the same as todavía?

Yes. Aún (with accent) means exactly the same as todavía. Both can be used interchangeably for still / yet. But aun without the accent means even (in concessive contexts: aun cuando = even when). The accent matters.

Yes, colloquially. ¡Ya voy! = I'm coming now! ¡Ya basta! = Enough already! In these contexts, ya emphasizes immediacy rather than already. Spanish ya has a broader range of meanings than English already.

How can I learn ya vs. todavía naturally?

These appear in countless time-related conversations: have you arrived? is it ready? are you still there? Parrot's short-form videos surface ya / todavía / ya no / todavía no in real exchanges, so the time relationships become automatic with exposure.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Ya vs. Todavía: When to Use Each in Spanish

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Ya means already (something has happened) or now. Todavía means still or yet (something is ongoing or has not happened). The negative ya no means no longer; the negative todavía no means not yet.

Ya llegó. Todavía no llega.

He's already arrived. He hasn't arrived yet.

What it is

Ya and todavía express different relationships between actions and time. Ya = already (something completed sooner than expected) or now. Todavía = still / yet (something ongoing or hasn't happened). The negatives ya no (no longer) and todavía no (not yet) express opposite changes of state.

Ya llegó means He has already arrived (the arrival happened, surprising or expected). Todavía no llega means He hasn't arrived yet (the arrival hasn't happened, expectation pending). The verb tense doesn't change; only the adverb signals the relationship.

How to spot it

Ya = action complete or about to start. Todavía = action continuing or not yet started. The negatives flip: ya no = it WAS happening, now it isn't. Todavía no = it ISN'T happening, but might.

Ya terminé. — I'm done. (already finished)
Todavía estoy estudiando. — I'm still studying. (ongoing)
Ya no fumo. — I don't smoke anymore.
Todavía no he comido. — I haven't eaten yet.

Ya also means now in colloquial Spanish (¡Ya voy! = I'm coming now!). And todavía also means even or yet in comparative contexts (todavía mejor = even better).

Ya vs. Todavía Quick Reference

Ya vs. todavía decision table

Meaning	Word	Example
already (completed)	ya	Ya terminé.
now (immediate)	ya	¡Ya voy!
still (ongoing)	todavía / aún	Todavía duermo.
yet (in negatives)	todavía / aún	Todavía no he comido.
no longer	ya no	Ya no fumo.
not yet	todavía no / aún no	Todavía no llega.
even (comparative)	todavía / aún	Todavía mejor.

Common Ya vs. Todavía Examples in Spanish

Ya and todavía cover different time relationships. The choice depends on whether an action is complete, ongoing, or pending.

Ya: Already (Action Complete)

Ya llegué.: I'm here. (I've already arrived)
Ya comí.: I've already eaten.
Ya lo sé.: I already know.
Ya terminamos.: We're done.
Ya hablé con él.: I've already spoken with him.

Ya emphasizes that an action has been completed, often sooner than expected or in response to a question implying it hadn't happened.

Todavía: Still (Action Ongoing)

Todavía estudio español.: I still study Spanish.
Todavía vive en Madrid.: She still lives in Madrid.
Todavía no tengo respuesta.: I still don't have an answer.
Todavía me duele.: It still hurts me.
Todavía trabajamos juntos.: We still work together.

Todavía emphasizes continuation. The action started in the past and is still happening now.

Ya No: No Longer (Negative Change)

Ya no fumo.: I don't smoke anymore.
Ya no vive aquí.: She doesn't live here anymore.
Ya no me llama.: He doesn't call me anymore.
Ya no quiero ir.: I no longer want to go.
Ya no hay tiempo.: There's no time anymore.

Ya no expresses a change from a previous state. The action was happening before but isn't now.

Todavía No: Not Yet (Negative Pending)

Todavía no he comido.: I haven't eaten yet.
Todavía no llega.: He hasn't arrived yet.
Todavía no terminamos.: We haven't finished yet.
Todavía no la conozco.: I haven't met her yet.
Todavía no es la hora.: It's not time yet.

Todavía no expresses something pending. The action hasn't started or finished, but might still happen.

How to Choose Between Ya and Todavía

Already vs. Still

If you want to say already (completed sooner than expected or in response to wondering if it had happened), use ya. If you want to say still (continuing from before), use todavía.

Ya terminé. Todavía estudio.

Already done vs. still studying.

Ya = completed. Todavía = continuing.

Negative Pair: Ya No vs. Todavía No

The negatives flip the meaning. Ya no = no longer (action stopped). Todavía no = not yet (action hasn't started or finished). These are commonly confused because both negate, but they express opposite changes of state.

Ya no fumo. Todavía no he probado.

Ya no = stopped. Todavía no = hasn't happened.

Ya no = was, isn't. Todavía no = isn't, might be.

Aún Is a Synonym for Todavía

Aún (with accent) means the same as todavía. Both can be used interchangeably for still / yet. Note: aun without an accent means even, used in concessive contexts (aun cuando = even when). The accent makes a big difference.

Todavía estoy aquí. = Aún estoy aquí.

Same meaning, two options.

Aún (with accent) = todavía. Aun (no accent) = even.

Ya Has Extra Uses

Ya also functions colloquially as now (¡Ya voy!, I'm coming now!) and as an intensifier in commands (¡Ya basta!, enough already!). These uses don't have direct todavía equivalents.

¡Ya basta! ¡Ya voy! Ya entiendo.

Now, immediately, OK now I understand.

Ya covers more contexts than just already.

Common Mistakes with Ya vs. Todavía

Incorrect: Todavía terminé. — I've already finished. (wrong, todavía for completion)

Correct: Ya terminé. — I've already finished.

For completion, use ya (already). Todavía means still, which contradicts being finished. Todavía terminé would be illogical (still finished doesn't work).

Incorrect: Ya no llega todavía. — He hasn't arrived yet. (wrong, ya no instead of todavía no)

Correct: Todavía no llega. — He hasn't arrived yet.

Ya no means no longer (action stopped), but the speaker means not yet (action hasn't happened). The correct phrase is todavía no llega.

Incorrect: Ya no he terminado. — I haven't finished yet. (wrong, ya no for not yet)

Correct: Todavía no he terminado. — I haven't finished yet.

Ya no he terminado would mean I no longer finished (illogical). For not yet, use todavía no (or aún no).

Ya vs. Todavía FAQs

What's the difference between ya and todavía in Spanish?: Ya = already (action completed) or now. Todavía = still (action ongoing) or yet (in negative contexts). The negatives flip: ya no = no longer (it was, now it isn't); todavía no = not yet (it isn't, might be).
What's the difference between ya no and todavía no?: Ya no = no longer / not anymore (action stopped after happening before). Todavía no = not yet (action hasn't happened, might still happen). These express opposite changes of state and are commonly confused.
Is aún the same as todavía?: Yes. Aún (with accent) means exactly the same as todavía. Both can be used interchangeably for still / yet. But aun without the accent means even (in concessive contexts: aun cuando = even when). The accent matters.
Can ya mean now?: Yes, colloquially. ¡Ya voy! = I'm coming now! ¡Ya basta! = Enough already! In these contexts, ya emphasizes immediacy rather than already. Spanish ya has a broader range of meanings than English already.
How can I learn ya vs. todavía naturally?: These appear in countless time-related conversations: have you arrived? is it ready? are you still there? Parrot's short-form videos surface ya / todavía / ya no / todavía no in real exchanges, so the time relationships become automatic with exposure.