Već je kasno.

to be

Breakdown of Već je kasno.

• kasno: late
• već: already

Questions & Answers about Već je kasno.

What does each word mean and what part of speech is it?

• Već = “already”; adverb.
• je = “is”; 3rd person singular present of biti (“to be”); an unstressed clitic.
• kasno = “late”; mostly used as an adverb; it also looks like the neuter singular form of an adjective used in impersonal statements.

Why is the word order Već je kasno and not Je već kasno or Već kasno je?

Because je is a clitic that must sit in “second position” in its clause. In practice, it follows the first stressed word:

• Correct: Već je kasno.
• Correct (with a different emphasis): Kasno je već.
• Incorrect: Je već kasno. (clitic can’t start a sentence)
• Incorrect: Već kasno je. (clitic is not in second position)

Can I drop je and just say Već kasno?

Not in a normal sentence. You might hear short, elliptical utterances like Kasno! or Već kasno! in headlines or casual exclamations, but the standard full sentence needs je: Već je kasno.

How do I ask “Is it already late?” in Croatian?