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[](# "wikilink")
Expressing lateness with "cai"
==============================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASG3WTCJ)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
- [Expressing earliness with
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_earliness_with_%22jiu%22) (B1)
- [Comparing "cai" and
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22) (B2)
-
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
[才](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%89%8D)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-Cai.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [3 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [4 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [4.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb
Examples
-------------------------------------------------------
- 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 *才* 到 家 。Wǒ zuótiān
wǎnshang shíyī diǎn *cái* dào jiā.I
didn't arrive at home until eleven o'clock last night.
- 他 二十 五 岁 *才* 上 大学 。Tā èrshí-wǔ suì
*cái* shàng dàxué.He didn't go to college
until he was 25.
- 她 四十 岁 *才* 结婚 。Tā sìshí suì *cái*
jiéhūn.She didn't get married until she
was forty.
- 我 女儿 昨天 十二 点 *才* 睡觉 ，作业 太 多 了
。Wǒ nǚ'ér zuótiān shí'èr diǎn *cái* shuìjiào,
zuòyè tài duō le.My daughter didn't go to
bed until 12 o'clock yesterday. Too much homework.
- 你 九 点 上班 ，八 点 半 *才* 起床 ？Nǐ jiǔ
diǎn shàngbān, bā diǎn bàn *cái*
qǐchuáng?You get up at 8:30 when you need
to show up at work at nine?
- 飞机 刚刚 *才* 起飞 ，晚点 了 两 个 小时
。Fēijī gānggāng *cái* qǐfēi, wǎndiǎn le liǎng
gè xiǎoshí.The flight just took off. It
was delayed for two hours.
- 电影 七 点 半 开始 ，可是 因为 堵车 ，我们 八 点 *才* 到
。Diànyǐng qī diǎn bàn kāishǐ, kěshì yīnwèi
dǔchē, wǒmen bā diǎn *cái* dào.The movie
began at 7:30, but we didn't arrive until eight because of
traffic.
You can use 才 alone with the verb to indicate the lateness when the
context is clear:
- 你 怎么 *才* 吃 晚饭 ？已经 十 点 了 。Nǐ zěnme
*cái* chī wǎnfàn? Yǐjīng shí diǎn le.How
come you are eating dinner now? It's 10 pm.
- 你 怎么 *才* 来 ？我们 等 了 半 个 多 小时 。
Nǐ zěnme *cái* lái? Wǒmen děng le bàn gè duō
xiǎoshí.How come you came here so late?
We've waited for more than half an hour.
Note that verbs following 才 should not take 了.
- 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 *才* 到 家 **了** 。Wǒ
zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn *cái* dào jiā **le**.
- 她 四十 岁 *才* 结婚 **了** 。Tā sìshí suì
*cái* jiéhūn **le**.
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Expressing earliness with
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_earliness_with_%22jiu%22)
- [Using "cai" for small
numbers](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Using_%22cai%22_for_small_numbers)
- [Comparing "cai" and
"jiu"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Basic Patterns of Chinese
Grammar](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar) (pp.
117-8) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1
(3rd ed)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_1_(3rd_ed)) (pp.
139) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xe9H5W)
- [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)
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