1.
long ago; already; long since
Emphasizes that something happened or was completed much earlier than the listener might think, stressing that quite a lot of time has already passed.
An emphatic, somewhat casual adverb stressing that something happened well before the present moment. It often carries a nuance of mild surprise or impatience that the listener did not already realize this.
Usage
- Frequently paired with verbs in a completed state: とっくに終わった (finished long ago), とっくに過ぎた (passed long ago).
- The fuller form とっくの昔に (long, long ago) is even more emphatic.
Similar words
- すでに: already — more neutral and formal; lacks the 'much earlier than you think' nuance
- もう: already — neutral; simply marks completion without emphasizing how long ago