▎早就…了, (zǎo jiù...le), long since...

 

Function This construction presents an exaggerated reference to the time in the past that an instance took place.

1 我只見過小陳幾次面，早就對他沒印象了。

Wǒ zhǐ jiànguò Xiǎo Chén jǐ cì miàn, zǎo jiù duì tā méi yìnxiàng le.

I only met Xiao Chen a few times. I have long since forgotten everything about him.

2 五月天演唱會的票，我早就買了，你不必擔心。

Wǔyuètiān yǎnchànghuì de piào, wǒ zǎo jiù mǎi le, nǐ búbì dānxīn.

I bought May Day concert tickets ages ago. No need to worry.

3 那條路上早就沒有日本人留下來的木造房子了，我們還要去嗎？

Nà tiáo lù shàng zǎo jiù méi yǒu Rìběn rén liúxiàlái de mùzào fángzi le, wǒmen hái yào qù ma?

It’s been forever since there were any Japanese style wooden houses left on that street. Are we still going to go?

4 你的平板電腦我早就修理好了，你怎麼不記得呢？

Nǐ de píngbǎn diànnǎo wǒ zǎo jiù xiūlǐ hǎo le, nǐ zěnme bú jìde ne?

I fixed your tablet computer a long time ago. How is it you don’t remember?

5 媽媽煮的水餃，早就被弟弟吃光了。你吃別的吧！

Māma zhǔ de shuǐjiǎo, zǎo jiù bèi dìdi chīguāng le. Nǐ chī biéde ba!

Little brother ate all the dumplings Mom made a long time ago. Go ahead and eat something else.