已

Stopping, ceasing, or terminating an action. As a marker of completion ("already"), it can denote the reaching of a state or the establishment of a settled matter (logical completion) rather than strictly chronological time. When meaning "finished," the term is generally neutral and does not necessarily imply that a goal was successfully achieved.

Functions as a verb of cessation or as an adverbial marker of completion.

Compared to 畢, which implies the fulfillment of a requirement, 已 denotes a halt or clean break. While both 已 and the particle 矣 are associated with finality and the conclusion of a process, they are grammatically distinct: 已 is a verb or adverb, whereas 矣 is a final particle marking a change in state or modal conclusion.

Close graphical proximity to 己 ("self"), differing only by the final upward stroke.

Because of the similarity between 已 and 己, scribal slips are common in manuscripts. If "already" or "cease" creates a logical rupture in the text, the translator should test whether 己 (self/own) was the intended glyph.