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Expressing earliness with "jiu"
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- \[<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Events_in_quick_succession_with_%22yi>...\_jiu...%22
Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu..."\] (B1)
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[就](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%B0%B1),
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Just as [才 (cái) can express
lateness](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_lateness_with_%22cai%22),
就 (jiù) can be used to indicate that something happened earlier or
sooner than expected. It can also be used in the near future to indicate
something will happen very soon.
<div id="toc" class="toc">
<div id="toctitle">
Contents
--------
<span class="toctoggle"> [hide]([# "wikilink")\] </span>
</div>
- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Used as
"Right Away" (in the
Future)</span>](#Used_as_.22Right_Away.22_.28in_the_Future.29 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">1.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Used as
"Early" (in the
Past)</span>](#Used_as_.22Early.22_.28in_the_Past.29 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Colloquial
Saying
早就</span>](#Colloquial_Saying_.E6.97.A9.E5.B0.B1 "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">See
also</span>](#See_also "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and
further reading</span>](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">5.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Books</span>](#Books "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">5.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Websites</span>](#Websites "wikilink")
</div>
<span id="Used_as_.22Right_Away.22_.28in_the_Future.29" class="mw-headline">Used as "Right Away" (in the Future)</span>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When something happens "right away," you're talking about "very soon" in
the *future*.
### <span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
The pattern is as follows:
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb
</div>
### <span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
<div class="liju">
- 我 马上 *就* 来 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ mǎshàng *jiù*
lái.</span><span class="trans">I'll be there in a second.</span>
- 米饭 二十 分钟 *就* 好 。<span class="pinyin">Mǐfàn èrshí fēnzhōng
*jiù* hǎo.</span><span class="trans">The rice will be ready in 20
minutes.</span>
- 你们 现在 *就* 出门 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen xiànzài *jiù*
chūmén ma?</span><span class="trans">Are you leaving the house right
now?</span>
- 他们 一会儿 *就* 到 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen yīhuìr *jiù*
dào.</span><span class="trans">They will be here in a few
minutes.</span>
- 老板 明天 *就* 回来 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn míngtiān *jiù*
huílái.</span><span class="trans">The boss will be back
tomorrow.</span>
</div>
Note that it can sometimes be hard to translate the feeling of
"soonness" into English, but in every one of these examples, the time
given in the sentences *feels "soon"* to the speaker.
<span id="Used_as_.22Early.22_.28in_the_Past.29" class="mw-headline">Used as "Early" (in the Past)</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Structure_2" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
In English this use of 就 might be expressed with "as early as," but
usually it's not specifically marked.
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Time Point + 就 + Verb + 了
</div>
### <span id="Examples_2" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
<div class="liju">
- 我们 九点 上课 ，他 八点 *就* 来 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen
jiǔ diǎn shàngkè, tā bā diǎn *jiù* lái
**le**.</span><span class="trans">We have class at nine, but he came
in at eight.</span>
- 飞机 十点 起飞 ，他 六点 *就* 到 机场 **了**
。<span class="pinyin">Fēijī shí diǎn qǐfēi, tā liù diǎn *jiù* dào
jīchǎng **le**.</span><span class="trans">The plane left at ten, but
he arrived at the airport at six.</span>
- 我 昨晚 八 点 半 *就* 睡觉 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuówǎn
bā diǎn bàn *jiù* shuìjiào **le**.</span><span class="trans">I went
to bed at eight thirty last night.</span>
- 她 十八 岁 *就* 大学 毕业 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Tā shíbā suì
*jiù* dàxué bìyè **le**.</span><span class="trans">She graduated
from college when she was only 18 years old.</span>
</div>
Not only can 就 emphasize "time point," but can also emphasize "time
period," indicating "very fast."
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Time Period + 就 + Verb + 了
</div>
A few examples:
<div class="liju">
- 你 **一 个 晚上** *就* 看 完 **了** ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ **yī
gè wǎnshang** *jiù* kàn wán **le**?</span><span class="trans">It
only took you just one night to finish reading it?</span>
- 他 **十 分钟** *就* 做完 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Tā **shí
fēnzhōng** *jiù* zuò wán **le**.</span><span class="trans">It only
took him ten minutes to finish doing it.</span>
</div>
From the example sentences it is clear that
[了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86)
naturally occurs with a verb used after 就. This is because verbs
following 就 generally have the feeling of being completed.
<span id="Colloquial_Saying_.E6.97.A9.E5.B0.B1" class="mw-headline">Colloquial Saying 早就</span>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
早就 means "long ago," and is usually used to express a kind of
impatience or surprise on the part of the speaker. It comes before the
verb.
<div class="liju">
- 我 *早就* 知道 **了** ！<span class="pinyin">Wǒ *zǎo jiù* zhīdào
**le**!</span><span class="trans">I knew that long ago!</span>
- 她 *早就* 结婚 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Tā *zǎo jiù* jiéhūn
**le**.</span><span class="trans">She got married a long time
ago.</span>
- 他们 *早就* 分手 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen *zǎo jiù*
fēnshǒu **le**.</span><span class="trans">They broke up a long time
ago.</span>
- 我们 *早就* 毕业 **了** 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen *zǎo jiù* bìyè
**le**.</span><span class="trans">We graduated a long time
ago!</span>
- 我 *早就* 跟 你 说 **过** ，他 不 是 好人 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ
*zǎo jiù* gēn nǐ shuō **guo**, tā bù shì hǎo
rén.</span><span class="trans">I told you a long time ago that he's
not a good guy.</span>
</div>
<span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Comparing "cai" and
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22)
- \[<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Events_in_quick_succession_with_%22yi>...\_jiu%22
Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"\]
- [Expressing indifference with
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_indifference_with_%22jiu%22)
- ["If…, then…" with "ruguo…,
jiu…"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22If%E2%80%A6,_then%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22ruguo%E2%80%A6,_jiu%E2%80%A6%22)
<span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span>
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part
1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1) (pp.
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- [New Practical Chinese Reader
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102-3)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X)
- [40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course
(基础汉语40课上册）](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) (pp.
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### <span id="Websites" class="mw-headline">Websites</span>
- East Asia Student: [就 and 才 in Mandarin: as early as, not
until](http://eastasiastudent.net/2619/china/mandarin/cmn-grammar/jiu-cai-early-as-not-until/)
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