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
"cai"
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
Subj. + Time Word + 才 + Verb
Examples
- 我 等 了 两 个 小时 才 买到 票。 I had waited
two hours before buying the ticket.
- 老板 十一 点 才 到 办公室。The boss didn't
come to the office until 11 o'clock.
- 这个 项目 最少 要 花 两 个 月 才 能 做完。It's
going to take at least two months to complete this
project.
Expressing Small
Quantity with "cai"
才 can also mean "only" in the sense of a small quantity.
Structure
才 ( + Verb) + Measure Word + Noun
Examples
- 我们 有 这么 多 人，你 才 点 了 三 个 菜。 We have
so many people and you only ordered three dishes.
- 我 买 了 这么 多 东西，才 花 了 五百 块 。 I
bought so many things，
and it only cost me 500 RMB.
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
- 你 才 来 就 要 走 ？也 不 多 坐 一会儿 ？You just
came and you're leaving now?
- 电影 才 开始 你 就 不 想 看 了 ？The movie
just started and you don't want to see it now?
- 他 才 毕业 就 找到 了 这么 好 的 工作 ？How come
he found such a good job while he just graduated from
college?
- 现在 才 九点 ，再 玩 一会儿 。It's only nine
o'clock. Stay and hang out a little bit more.
- 才 六点 ，起 那么 早 干嘛 ？It's only six.
Why did you get up so early?
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
Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + Obj.＋了
Examples
- 他 下午 四点 就 吃 晚饭 了。He ate dinner at
four in the afternoon.
- 她 十九 岁 就 结婚 了。She got married when
she was 19.
- 我 八点 就 出门 了，路 上 堵车，我 迟到 了 十 分钟。I
left at eight, but there was a traffic jam. I was ten minutes
late.
- 你们 这么 早 就 下班 了？You guys leaving
work so early?
- 你 妹妹 十五岁就 上 大学 了？Your younger
sister started college when she was only fifteen?
Used to Express Small
Quantity
就 can be used to mean "only," in the sense of a small
quantity.
Structure
Subj. + 就 + (＋Verb) ＋ Measure Word ＋ Noun
Examples
- 我们 有 这么 多 人，你 就 点 了 三 个 菜？.
- 你们 每天 就 睡 四 个 小时？ Do you only
sleep four hours every day?
- 那时候 中国人 都 生 四 五 个 孩子，他们 家 就 生 一 个？She got married when she was 19.
- 你 这么 大 一个 男人，就 吃 这么 一 小 碗饭？！.
- 每 个 人 都 写 了 五页 纸，你 就 写 了 一 页 纸！.
See also
Sources and further
reading
Books
Category:grammar comparison