已
yǐ · HSK 3
already
✅ 已 yǐ = already done; pictograph of a fetus/snake, borrowed for 'already'
已 originally depicted a fetus or coiled form, but was phonetically borrowed to mean 'already, stop, finish'. Common pairings: 已经 (already), 而已 (that's all). Distinguish from 己 (self) and 巳 (snake) by the gap at the top.
已 — snake/fetus 巳 variant, with top opened
Originally a pictograph related to 巳 (a coiled fetus or snake form), 已 was distinguished by opening the top stroke. In ancient texts it came to mean 'to stop, cease, finish,' and by extension 'already.' The graphic split from 巳 and 己 helped fix its modern sense as a marker of completed action.