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[](# "wikilink")
Expressing earliness with "jiu"
===============================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGKITRZ)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
- \[...\_jiu...%22
Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu..."\] (B1)
- [Expressing lateness with
"cai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_lateness_with_%22cai%22) (B1)
- [Comparing "cai" and
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22) (B2)
-
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.
Used for
[Expressing time and
date](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_time_and_date),
[Expressing
attitude](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_attitude),
[Sequencing events in
time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_events_in_time)
-
Keywords
[就](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%B0%B1),
[了](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%BA%86)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-jiu.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1 Used as
"Right Away" (in the
Future)](#Used_as_.22Right_Away.22_.28in_the_Future.29 "wikilink")
- [1.1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [1.2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [2 Used as
"Early" (in the
Past)](#Used_as_.22Early.22_.28in_the_Past.29 "wikilink")
- [2.1
Structure](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [2.2
Examples](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [3 Colloquial
Saying
早就](#Colloquial_Saying_.E6.97.A9.E5.B0.B1 "wikilink")
- [4 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [5 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [5.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
- [5.2
Websites](#Websites "wikilink")
Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb
### Examples
- 我 马上 *就* 来 。Wǒ mǎshàng *jiù*
lái.I'll be there in a second.
- 米饭 二十 分钟 *就* 好 。Mǐfàn èrshí fēnzhōng
*jiù* hǎo.The rice will be ready in 20
minutes.
- 你们 现在 *就* 出门 吗 ？Nǐmen xiànzài *jiù*
chūmén ma?Are you leaving the house right
now?
- 他们 一会儿 *就* 到 。Tāmen yīhuìr *jiù*
dào.They will be here in a few
minutes.
- 老板 明天 *就* 回来 。Lǎobǎn míngtiān *jiù*
huílái.The boss will be back
tomorrow.
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.
Used as "Early" (in the Past)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Structure
In English this use of 就 might be expressed with "as early as," but
usually it's not specifically marked.
Subj. + Time Point + 就 + Verb + 了
### Examples
- 我们 九点 上课 ，他 八点 *就* 来 **了** 。Wǒmen
jiǔ diǎn shàngkè, tā bā diǎn *jiù* lái
**le**.We have class at nine, but he came
in at eight.
- 飞机 十点 起飞 ，他 六点 *就* 到 机场 **了**
。Fēijī shí diǎn qǐfēi, tā liù diǎn *jiù* dào
jīchǎng **le**.The plane left at ten, but
he arrived at the airport at six.
- 我 昨晚 八 点 半 *就* 睡觉 **了** 。Wǒ zuówǎn
bā diǎn bàn *jiù* shuìjiào **le**.I went
to bed at eight thirty last night.
- 她 十八 岁 *就* 大学 毕业 **了** 。Tā shíbā suì
*jiù* dàxué bìyè **le**.She graduated
from college when she was only 18 years old.
Not only can 就 emphasize "time point," but can also emphasize "time
period," indicating "very fast."
Subj. + Time Period + 就 + Verb + 了
A few examples:
- 你 **一 个 晚上** *就* 看 完 **了** ？Nǐ **yī
gè wǎnshang** *jiù* kàn wán **le**?It
only took you just one night to finish reading it?
- 他 **十 分钟** *就* 做完 **了** 。Tā **shí
fēnzhōng** *jiù* zuò wán **le**.It only
took him ten minutes to finish doing it.
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.
Colloquial Saying 早就
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
- 我 *早就* 知道 **了** ！Wǒ *zǎo jiù* zhīdào
**le**!I knew that long ago!
- 她 *早就* 结婚 **了** 。Tā *zǎo jiù* jiéhūn
**le**.She got married a long time
ago.
- 他们 *早就* 分手 **了** 。Tāmen *zǎo jiù*
fēnshǒu **le**.They broke up a long time
ago.
- 我们 *早就* 毕业 **了** 。Wǒmen *zǎo jiù* bìyè
**le**.We graduated a long time
ago!
- 我 *早就* 跟 你 说 **过** ，他 不 是 好人 。Wǒ
*zǎo jiù* gēn nǐ shuō **guo**, tā bù shì hǎo
rén.I told you a long time ago that he's
not a good guy.
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Comparing "cai" and
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22)
- \[...\_jiu%22
Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"\]
- [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)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part
1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1) (pp.
181-2) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xe9H5W)
- [New Practical Chinese Reader
3 (新实用汉语课本3)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_3_(%E6%96%B0%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%BE%E6%9C%AC3)) (pp.
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.
239)
[→buy](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)
### Websites
- 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/)
[Categories](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories):
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points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)
- [Adverbs](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:Adverbs)
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