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= Expressing lateness with &quot;cai&quot; =


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<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_earliness_with_%22jiu%22 Expressing earliness with &quot;jiu&quot;] (B1)</li>
<li>[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22 Comparing &quot;cai&quot; and &quot;jiu&quot;] (B2)</li></ul>


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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_time_and_date Expressing time and date], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_attitude Expressing attitude], [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_events_in_time Sequencing events in time]

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[https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%89%8D 才]

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To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才 (cái). In English this might be expressed with &quot;as late as&quot; or &quot;not until.&quot; This form is often used with a time of some sort, like a specific time of day, age, etc.

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== Contents ==

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* [[#Structure|<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Structure</span>]]
* [[#Examples|<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span>]]
* [[#See_also|<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>]]
* [[#Sources_and_further_reading|<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and further reading</span>]]
** [[#Books|<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Books</span>]]


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== <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span> ==

<div class="jiegou">

Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb


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== <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span> ==

<div class="liju">

* 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 ''才'' 到 家 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn ''cái'' dào jiā.</span><span class="trans">I didn't arrive at home until eleven o'clock last night.</span>
* 他 二十 五 岁 ''才'' 上 大学 。<span class="pinyin">Tā èrshí-wǔ suì ''cái'' shàng dàxué.</span><span class="trans">He didn't go to college until he was 25.</span>
* 她 四十 岁 ''才'' 结婚 。<span class="pinyin">Tā sìshí suì ''cái'' jiéhūn.</span><span class="trans">She didn't get married until she was forty.</span>
* 我 女儿 昨天 十二 点 ''才'' 睡觉 ,作业 太 多 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér zuótiān shí'èr diǎn ''cái'' shuìjiào, zuòyè tài duō le.</span><span class="trans">My daughter didn't go to bed until 12 o'clock yesterday. Too much homework.</span>
* 你 九 点 上班 ,八 点 半 ''才'' 起床 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiǔ diǎn shàngbān, bā diǎn bàn ''cái'' qǐchuáng?</span><span class="trans">You get up at 8:30 when you need to show up at work at nine?</span>
* 飞机 刚刚 ''才'' 起飞 ,晚点 了 两 个 小时 。<span class="pinyin">Fēijī gānggāng ''cái'' qǐfēi, wǎndiǎn le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">The flight just took off. It was delayed for two hours.</span>
* 电影 七 点 半 开始 ,可是 因为 堵车 ,我们 八 点 ''才'' 到 。<span class="pinyin">Diànyǐng qī diǎn bàn kāishǐ, kěshì yīnwèi dǔchē, wǒmen bā diǎn ''cái'' dào.</span><span class="trans">The movie began at 7:30, but we didn't arrive until eight because of traffic.</span>


</div>
You can use 才 alone with the verb to indicate the lateness when the context is clear:

<div class="liju">

* 你 怎么 ''才'' 吃 晚饭 ?已经 十 点 了 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme ''cái'' chī wǎnfàn? Yǐjīng shí diǎn le.</span><span class="trans">How come you are eating dinner now? It's 10 pm.</span>
* 你 怎么 ''才'' 来 ?我们 等 了 半 个 多 小时 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme ''cái'' lái? Wǒmen děng le bàn gè duō xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">How come you came here so late? We've waited for more than half an hour.</span>


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Note that verbs following 才 should not take 了.

<div class="liju">

* 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 ''才'' 到 家 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn ''cái'' dào jiā '''le'''.</span>
* 她 四十 岁 ''才'' 结婚 '''了''' 。<span class="pinyin">Tā sìshí suì ''cái'' jiéhūn '''le'''.</span>


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== <span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span> ==

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_earliness_with_%22jiu%22 Expressing earliness with &quot;jiu&quot;]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22cai%22_for_small_numbers Using &quot;cai&quot; for small numbers]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22 Comparing &quot;cai&quot; and &quot;jiu&quot;]

== <span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span> ==

=== <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span> ===

* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar] (pp. 117-8) [http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed) Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)] (pp. 139) [http://amzn.to/2xe9H5W →buy]
* [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/40_Lessons_for_Basic_Chinese_Course_(%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD40%E8%AF%BE%E4%B8%8A%E5%86%8C%EF%BC%89 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册)] (pp. 239) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]

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