já

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ja"

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech jáz, from Proto-Slavic *azъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjaː]

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

já (first person)

1. I

Declension

Declension of já (sg-only animate pronoun)

	singular
	stressed	clitic
nominative	já
genitive	mne	mě
dative	mně	mi
accusative	mne	mě
vocative	—
locative	mně
instrumental	mnou

Derived terms

• jáství

Related terms

Czech personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		já	my
2nd person	familiar	ty	vy
	polite	vy
3rd person	m	on	oni1
	f	ona	ony
	n	ono	ona
reflexive		sebe, se (clitic)

¹ animate referents only, for inanimate ones ony is used.

Noun

já n (indeclinable)

1. (psychoanalysis) ego

   Synonym: ego

See also

• nadjá n
• ono n

Further reading

• “já”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “já”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “já”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse já (“yes”), Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jauː/
• Rhymes: -auː

Adverb

já

1. yes

   Synonyms: (informal) jamm; (informal, joyful) jahá

Interjection

já

1. (informal) yes (as an exclamation of joy or excitement)

   Synonyms: (informal) jess; (informal) jei; (informal) jahá

Inari Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *jahw.

Conjunction

já

1. and

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[1], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Indo-Portuguese

Etymology

From Portuguese já (“already; now”), from Old Galician-Portuguese ja, from Latin iam (“already”).

Particle

já

1. used in conjunction with the past tense
   • 1883, Hugo Schuchardt, Kreolische Studien, volume 3:

     Já fallou par su pai aquêl mais piquin, […]

     The youngest one told his father, […]

Khiamniungan Naga

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃɑ⁵⁵/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

já

1. (Patsho) connect, attach, link

   Kheunyoh nüko meikü ja-i kü noi naih, alumtshouko asheu nü epje.

   Through proper connection with people brings positive results.

Macanese

Alternative forms

• jâ

Etymology

From Indo-Portuguese já, from Portuguese já (“already; now”), from Old Galician-Portuguese ja, from Latin iam (“already”). Semantically, compare Chavacano ya.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒa/

Particle

já

1. past tense marker; marks that an event has reached completion

   Iou já falâ ― I spoke

   Vôs já uví? ― Have you heard?

   Atútu já vêm di América ― Artur returned from America

   Já têm-ia! ― I've got it!

Usage notes

• Placing já before a verb in the past tense is optional.
• Past tense (or any other tense) may not necessarily be marked using já; verb tense is present by default but may have to be inferred through context, a feature possibly influenced by Cantonese grammar.

Conjunction

já … já

1. sometimes … sometimes

   Já churâ, já rí ― Sometimes laughing, sometimes crying

References

• https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm

Northern Sami

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈjaː/

Adverb

já

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[2], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes”).

Adverb

já

1. yes

Interjection

já

1. (informal) yes (as an exclamation of joy or excitement)

Descendants

• Icelandic: já
• Faroese: ja
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ja
• Norwegian Bokmål: ja
• Old Swedish: iā
  • Swedish: ja
  • → Finnish: jaa
• Danish: ja, jo

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• ja (obsolete)
• jah (Internet slang)

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese ja, from Latin iam (“already”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʒa/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʒa/

• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: já

Adverb

já (not comparable)

2. (usually preceding verbs in the past tense) already (indicating that something has happened before)

   Já li esse livro.

   I have already read this book.

4. (usually following verbs in the present tense) now (at this instant)

   Synonym: agora

   Consigo fazer isso já.

   I can do this right now.

   Compre já!

   Buy now!

6. (in negative sentences, preceding the adverb não ) any more; any longer

   Synonym: mais

   Eu já não leio mais muitos livros.

   I don’t read many books any more.

8. (usually preceding verbs in the present tense) in a minute; soon

   Synonyms: logo; já, já

   Não me apresse, eu já faço isso.

   Don’t rush me, I will do this in a minute.

10. (preceding noun phrases) on the other hand, however

    Synonyms: por outro lado, no entanto

    Gosto de ler, já a minha mãe não lê nem as notícias.

    I enjoy reading, my mother, on the other hand, doesn’t even read the news.

11. (preceding a verb in the passive participle) ever

    O melhor bolo já feito

    The best cake ever made

Usage notes

In Portuguese, já is said more frequently than the English equivalents. It is sometimes left untranslated altogether.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:já.

Derived terms

• como já era de se esperar
• já agora
• já era
• já era hora
• já era tempo
• já que
• já sei
• já vai tarde
• já volto

Descendants

• Angolar: dha
• Annobonese: za
• Guinea-Bissau Creole: dja
• Indo-Portuguese: já
• Kabuverdianu: dja
• Korlai Creole Portuguese: ja, ya
• Macanese: já
• Kristang: jah
• Principense: za
• Sãotomense: za