GRAMMAR
疾っくに
already
long ago
Explanation
NOTE
疾くに (tokku ni) is an adverb meaning long ago, already, or a long time ago — emphasizing that something happened much earlier than expected.
彼は疾くに家に帰った。
He went home a long time ago.
<b><ruby>疾<rt>とっ</rt></ruby>くに</b> stresses that the action was completed **far earlier** than the listener may think.
NOTE
It is almost always paired with a past-tense verb or a stative form (e.g. 〜ている) describing a completed state.
NOTE
It carries a slightly emphatic or surprised nuance — "by now, of course" or "way before you thought".
STRUCTURE
疾っくに+Vpast/Vている
その本は疾くに読み終わったよ。
Sono hon wa tokku ni yomi owatta yo.
I finished reading that book long ago.
会議は疾くに始まっている。
Kaigi wa tokku ni hajimatte iru.
The meeting has already started a long time ago.
宿題なら疾くに終わらせた。
Shukudai nara tokku ni owaraseta.
As for the homework, I finished it long ago.
Practice exercises
1
彼は疲れつつも、試験は疾っくに終わった。
He's tired, but the exam already finished.
Answer
疾っくに
2
食事の最中だったが、電車は疾っくに発車した。
It was in the middle of dinner, but the train already departed long ago.
Answer
疾っくに
3
彼女は未だに知らないが、真実は疾っくに明らかになった。
She still doesn't know, but the truth was already revealed long ago.
Answer
疾っくに
4
計画は疾っくに中止されたと聞いた。
I heard the plan was already cancelled long ago.
Answer
疾っくに
5
時代は疾っくに変わったのに、まだ昔の考えだ。
Even though times have already changed long ago, they still have old ways of thinking.
Answer
疾っくに