もう

もう is a versatile adverb with several related meanings.

Usage

1. Already: An action/state completed earlier than expected
2. Anymore (with negatives): No longer, not from now on
3. More/another: An additional amount

Common patterns

• もう〜した: already did ~
• もう〜ない: not ~ anymore
• もう一(いっ)回(かい): one more time
• もう少(すこ)し: a little more
• もう一(ひと)つ: one more (thing)

Similar words

• もう vs. まだ: "already" vs. "still/not yet"
• もう食(た)べた (already ate) vs. まだ食(た)べていない (haven't eaten yet)

How to tell the senses apart

The surrounding grammar decides which meaning もう has. With a past or completed form it means "already"; with a negative it means "anymore"; directly before a number or quantity word it means "more."

WORD ORDER (sense 3): もう comes immediately before the amount, never after it — もう少(すこ)し, もう一(ひと)つ, もう一(いっ)回(かい). The reverse order is ungrammatical.

Spoken use

On its own, drawn out as もう〜, it works as an exclamation of exasperation, roughly "oh, come on" or "geez." This is casual speech only.