Both 才 (cái) and 就 (jiù) are adverbs that have to do with expressing time, and they are both placed in front of the verb. However, they have opposite effects on the tone of the sentence, with 才 (cái) implying a=the speaker's sense of lateness, and 就 (jiù) imparting a sense of earliness.

Emphasis with 才

Expressing Lateness with "cái"

才 indicates that the speaker feels that the events discussed happened later than expected. Sometimes it also expresses anxiety, impatience, anger, or other related emotions.

Structure

Examples

Expressing Small Quantity with "cái"

才 can also mean "only" in the sense of a small quantity.

Structure

Examples

Expressing earliness with "cai"

"才"表示动作在说话前不久发生，有" 刚、刚刚"的意思。常常跟"就"连用，形容某事发生得很快。

Structure

Examples

Emphasis with 就

Used to Express Earliness

就 indicates that something has occurred earlier than the speaker expected. There may be an accompanying feeling of surprise or amazement.

Structure

Examples

Used to Express Small Quantity

就 can be used to mean "only," in the sense of a small quantity.

Structure

Examples

See also

• Expressing lateness with "cai"
• Expressing earliness with "jiu"
• "cai" used for small numbers
• "Just" with "jiu"
• Emphasis with "jiu"
• Expressing "as one likes" with "jiu"
• Expressing indifference with "jiu"
• Limiting scope with "jiu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 107)