<p>The character 才 (cái) can be used to emphasize that a number is small, or less than expected.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <div class="jiegou"> <p>才 (+ Verb) + Number + Measure Word + Noun</p> </div> <p>In English, we often express this by using "only" or "just" to emphasize that the number is small.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>你 <em>才</em> 二十 岁 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> èrshí suì.</span><span class="trans">You're only twenty? </span></li> <li>这 家 公司 <em>才</em> 三 个 人 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiā gōngsī <em>cái</em> sān gè rén.</span><span class="trans">This company only has three employees.</span></li> <li>这 个 班 <em>才</em> 两 个 学生 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège bān <em>cái</em> liǎng gè xuéshēng.</span><span class="trans">This class only has two students.</span></li> <li>你 男朋友 工资 <em>才</em> 两 千 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ nánpéngyou gōngzī <em>cái</em> liǎng qiān?</span><span class="trans">Your boyfriend's salary is only two thousand RMB?</span></li> <li>你 <em>才</em> 捐 十块 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> juān shí kuài? </span><span class="trans">You only donated ten kuai?</span></li> <li>她 <em>才</em> 来 上海 两 个 月 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cái</em> lái Shànghǎi liǎng gè yuè.</span><span class="trans">She's only been in Shanghai for two months.</span></li> <li>这 顿 饭 <em>才</em> 花 了 二十 块 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè dùn fàn <em>cái</em> huā le èrshí kuài.</span><span class="trans">This meal only cost twenty kuai.</span></li> <li>你 才 一百 斤 ，还说 要 减肥 ？<span class="expl">One "jin" = 500g</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ cái yī bǎi jīn, hái shuō yào jiǎnféi?</span><span class="trans">You're only 100 jin and you're talking about losing weight?</span></li> <li>我 <em>才</em> 吃 一 个 ，可以 再 吃 一 个 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>cái</em> chī yī gè, kěyǐ zài chī yī gè ma?</span><span class="trans">I only ate one. Can I have one more?</span></li> <li>他们 认识 <em>才</em> 三 个 星期 就 结婚 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen rènshi <em>cái</em> sān gè xīngqī jiù jiéhūn le.</span><span class="trans">They only knew each other for three weeks before they got married.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2> <ul> <li><a href=""Just"_with_"jiu"" title="wikilink">"Just" with "jiu"</a></li> <li><a href="Comparing_"cai"_and_"jiu"" title="wikilink">Comparing "cai" and "jiu"</a></li> <li><a href="Expressing_lateness_with_"cai"" title="wikilink">Expressing lateness with "cai"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-readings">Sources and Further Readings</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_1" title="wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1</a> (p. 302) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276792/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276792">→buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a> <a href="Category:_Adverbs" title="wikilink">Category: Adverbs</a></p>