recién / ya

Question

How is recién different from ya?  Are they interchangeable?

Accepted Answer

Hola Tara
Recién and ya are very similar, but recién is used when something has "just" happened; however, ya doesn't have that nuance. Ya is used to simply say "already", i.e. when something has already happened, but not necessarily "just happened". 
For example:

Carlota ya llegó.
Carlota has already arrived.
Carlota recién llegó.
Carlota has just arrived.

I hope it clarified it.
Saludos
Inma

Answer

Recién rarely seems used in Spain. Alternative "Acabo de ver Susan ..." Is this ok?

Answer

Recién rarely seems used in Spain. Alternative "Acabo de ver Susan ..." Is this ok?