{{Grammar Box}} 

One of the ways to express lateness in Chinese is with 才 (cái).

== Structure ==

To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才. 

<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + Time Word + 才 + Verb-Obj.
</div>

In English this might be expressed with "as late as" or "not until." This form is often used with a time number of some sort, like a specific time, age etc.

== Examples ==

<div class="liju">

*我 昨天 十 点 <em>才</em> 下班 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān shí diǎn <em>cái</em> xiàbān.</span><span class="trans">I got off work at ten o'clock yesterday.</span>
*他 二十 五 岁 <em>才</em> 上 大学 。<span class="pinyin">Tā èrshí-wǔ suì <em>cái</em> shàng dàxué.</span><span class="trans">He didn't go to college until he was 25.</span>
*我 老板 四十 多 岁 <em>才</em> 结婚 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ lǎobǎn sìshí duō suì <em>cái</em> jiéhūn.</span><span class="trans">My boss didn't get married until he was forty.</span>
*你 九点 上班 ，八 点 半 <em>才</em> 起床 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiǔ diǎn shàngbān, bā diǎn bàn <em>cái</em> qǐchuáng?</span><span class="trans">You get up at 8:30 while you need to show up at work at nine?</span>
*我们 十点 上课，老师 十 点 半 <em>才</em> 来 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen shí diǎn shàngkè, lǎoshī shí diǎn bàn <em>cái</em> lái.</span><span class="trans">We have class at 10 o'clock and the teacher  didn't come until half past ten.</span>
*我 女儿 每天 晚上 都 十二 点 <em>才</em> 睡觉 ，作业 太 多 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér měi tiān wǎnshang dōu shí'èr diǎn <em>cái</em> shuìjiào, zuòyè tài duō le.</span><span class="trans">My daughter goes to bed at 12 o'clock every day. She has too much homework.</span>
*你 怎么 <em>才</em> 来 ？我 等 了 你 半 个 多 小时 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme <em>cái</em> lái? Wǒ děng le nǐ bàn gè duō xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">How come you just came? I've waited for you more than half an hour.</span>
*我们 找 了 一 个 多 小时 <em>才</em> 找到 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen zhǎo le yī gè duō xiǎoshí <em>cái</em> zhǎodào.</span><span class="trans">It took us  more than an hour to find it.</span>

</div>

Note that verbs following 才 cannot take 了，as the action does not have the sense of being completed. So, in the above situation, it is wrong to say:

<div class="liju">

<ul>
<li class="x">昨天 晚上 我的 女儿 一点半 <em>才</em> 回家 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ de nǚ'ér yīdiǎn bàn <em>cái</em> huíjiā <strong>le</strong>.</span></li> 
</ul>

</div>

==See also==

* [[Expressing earliness with "jiu"]]
* [[Comparing "cai" and "jiu"]]

== Sources and further reading ==

=== Books ===

* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 117-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 139) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 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]

=== Websites ===

* East Asia Student: [http://eastasiastudent.net/2619/china/mandarin/cmn-grammar/jiu-cai-early-as-not-until/ 就 and 才 in Mandarin: as early as, not until]

[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
[[Category: Adverbs]]

{{Basic Grammar|才|B1|Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb-Obj.|他 二十五 岁 <em>才</em> 上 大学 。|grammar point|ASG3WTCJ}}
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
{{POS|Adverbs}}
{{Similar|Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"}}
{{Similar|Comparing "cai" and "jiu"}}
{{Similar|Expressing earliness with "jiu"}}