ASK A QUESTION How is "ya" used in Spanish?
I'm confused by when to use 'ya' in Spanish.
This little word is very complicated and depending on context has different meanings. Here are a few,
Ya - Already
Ya - Now
Ya - Right now
Ya - Later
Ya - No longer
Ya - Also used for emphasis, ex, Ya lo sé - I already know
No ya - Not only
Ya que - Now that
Ya que - Since
Good question and answer. I'll recirculate it.
One other use I've heard is when it means "that's it," or "there you have it," or "you're done/set."
For example, "Le pagas quince dólares al hombre en efectivo, y ya" would be "You pay the guy fifteen dollars in cash, and that's it/there you have it/you're done/set."
I'm pretty sure this is just shorthand for "ya estás (or any conjugated form of "estar"), which roughly translates to "there you go/you're set."
One more example, "¿Quieren más pan"? "No gracias, ya estamos". Do you want more bread? No thanks, we're set.
Good answer Eddy. And then there are the colloquial expressions.......