The expression: not yet

Question

Could you stop driving one moment, please?. ...

Answer: Not yet.

Is it correct?.

Yes Nila -= but we would probably say "No, not yet" - ian-hill, Nov 3, 2011

qué querías decir??? - 00494d19, Nov 4, 2011

Aún no. - nila45, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 1

Nila, I agree with Julian. We also say: "Could you pull over for a minute?" This means you are asking someone to drive over to the side of the road, out of traffic and to stop the car. However, all of the above is just understood by the words "Pull over." or to be polite, "Pull over please."

I know it doesn't make any sense because you are really not pulling anything. It is just one of those expressions we use.

So in this case, when someone says "Not yet." They are basically telling you that they are willing to stop the car, but it just isn't possible at the present moment. It sort of gives you the expectation that whatever you are asking will be done at some point soon.

Some different examples:

Person #1: Did you hear the good news?

Person #2: No, not yet. What happened?

---

Person #1: Did you clean your bedroom yet?

Person #2: No, not yet. I promise I will do it tomorrow.

---

Person #1: Is dinner ready yet?

Person #2: No, not yet, but it will be ready in ten minutes.

Good one, Nicole! I had forgotten about that variant - 005faa61, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 2

Don't confuse Already with All ready.

Is dinner ready yet? Yes. All ready!

Already= Ya

All ready= todo está listo

Hope that is helpful!

I wish I had thought of that. Good one Lucie! - Yeser007, Nov 4, 2011

That's an important distinction. Thanks! - pesta, Nov 4, 2011

:) - FELIZ77, Nov 4, 2011

Good answer, McLucie. - annierats, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 3

My wife asks me, Did you take out the trash?

(I didn't, of course!)

So I don't want to tell her "No" - Instead, I tell her, "Not yet!"

This has a way of indicating that it wasn't done, but I intend to do it later.

I agree pesta! Very important for men, never include the 'no' in these situations :P - billygoat, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 4

Could you stop driving one moment, please?

This is normally spoken "........ stop the car for a moment .....?"

Answer 5

Nila asked:

Question: Is dinner ready yet?.

Answer: Yes, already.

Is it correct?

No, that's not correct. Instead, you'd say something like....

1) Yes, it's ready (Sí, está lista)

2) Yes, it's all ready (Sí, toda está lista)

3) Yes, it's already done (Sí, ya está lista)

No, no. I am not mistaking "already" for "ready". I was trying to guess how I could answer with "already". - nila45, Nov 4, 2011

In this context, "all" isn't the same as "everything". IIf we say "si, todo está listo", "dinner" is replaced with "todo". It is not "toda la comida" but "todo". In this case, it goes in masculine. - nila45, Nov 5, 2011

Answer 6

To translate the phrase "not yet" I'd go for Aún no, or Todavia no depending on context.

¿Has terminado tus deberes? Todavía no.

"Have you finished your homework?" "Not yet".

Answer 7

Notice this:

Is the dinner ready yet? (¿la cena está lista ya?)

Yes, the dinner is already ready. (si, la cena está ya lista).

Are there any problems with that answer?.

No problems. Very good. - Goyo, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 8

Yes. It means the person will stop driving later.

At first, I thought that it was "not still". For that reason, when I saw "not yet", I had the doubt. - nila45, Nov 3, 2011

"Not still" would be expressed as, "Not anymore," with the meaning that something that was being done is no longer. "Not yet" means something has not happened already but will in the future. - RosaVerde, Nov 4, 2011

Good explanation, RosaVerde. Thanks. - nila45, Nov 5, 2011

Answer 9

Nila, "The dinner is already ready." is O.K., but we are getting into areas where context and intonation become more important. Since you are interested, it is also possible to say "The dinner is ready already!" with the implication of a bit of impatience and an ethnic nuance deriving from Yiddish.

Answer 10

Nicole: Is dinner ready yet?.

Answer: Yes, already.

Is it correct?

I agree with the answers Yeser and Pesta gave you. No you would never say "Yes, already,"

I think most English speaking people who are in charge of preparing dinner hear this question every 24 hours. So it is an easy one to answer.

Question: Is dinner ready yet?

Answer: Yes, it's ready.

or "No, not yet." (You may or may not tell them how much longer they have to wait.)

I usually add: "No not yet, but please help me set the table."

If someone is announcing that dinner is ready (whether someone has asked or not), we usually say:

"Dinner's ready!"

I added the explanation point (!) because this usually has to be shouted so everyone in the house can hear you.

Answer 11

Nicole: Is dinner ready yet?.

Answer: Yes, already.

Is it correct?

Answer:yes, it is or it's ready - but not "already" - Yeser007, Nov 4, 2011

Please make dinner. You can answer, "it is already made!" - pesta, Nov 4, 2011

Pesta's sentence is correct. But when most moms are asked that question every 24 hours, we just say "Yes, it's ready." or "No, not yet." - Nicole-B, Nov 4, 2011

Answer 12

I know it doesn't make any sense because you are really not pulling anything. It is just one of those expressions we use.

I would guess it has to do with how you would do it in a horse drawn carriage.