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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>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.</p>
<h2 id="emphasis-with-才">Emphasis with 才</h2>
<h3 id="expressing-lateness-with-cai">Expressing Lateness with
"cai"</h3>
<p><a href="Expressing_lateness_with_&quot;cai&quot;" title=
"wikilink">才 indicates</a> that the speaker feels that the events
discussed happened later than expected. Sometimes it also expresses
anxiety, impatience, anger, or other related emotions.</p>
<h4 id="structure">Structure</h4>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + Time Word + 才 + Verb</p>
</div>
<h4 id="examples">Examples</h4>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我 等 了 两 个 小时 <em>才</em> 买到 票。 <span class="trans">I had waited
two hours before buying the ticket.</span></li>
<li>老板 十一 点 <em>才</em> 到 办公室。<span class="trans">The boss didn't
come to the office until 11 o'clock.</span></li>
<li>这个 项目 最少 要 花 两 个 月 <em>才</em> 能 做完。<span class="trans">It's
going to take at least two months to complete this
project.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="expressing-small-quantity-with-cai">Expressing Small
Quantity with "cai"</h3>
<p>才 can also mean "only" in the sense of a small quantity.</p>
<h4 id="structure-1">Structure</h4>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>才 ( + Verb) + Measure Word + Noun</p>
</div>
<h4 id="examples-1">Examples</h4>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我们 有 这么 多 人，你 <em>才</em> 点 了 三 个 菜。 <span class="trans">We have
so many people and you only ordered three dishes.</span></li>
<li>我 买 了 这么 多 东西，<em>才</em> 花 了 五百 块 。 <span class="trans">I
bought so many things，</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span class="trans">and it only cost me 500 RMB.</span></p>
</div>
<h3 id="expressing-earliness-with-cai">Expressing earliness with
"cai"</h3>
<p>"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。</p>
<h4 id="structure-2">Structure</h4>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 才 + Verb</p>
</div>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>(现在) + 才 + Time</p>
</div>
<h4 id="examples-2">Examples</h4>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 <em>才</em> 来 就 要 走 ？也 不 多 坐 一会儿 ？<span class="trans">You just
came and you're leaving now?</span></li>
<li>电影 <em>才</em> 开始 你 就 不 想 看 了 ？<span class="trans">The movie
just started and you don't want to see it now?</span></li>
<li>他 <em>才</em> 毕业 就 找到 了 这么 好 的 工作 ？<span class="trans">How come
he found such a good job while he just graduated from
college?</span></li>
<li>现在 <em>才</em> 九点 ，再 玩 一会儿 。<span class="trans">It's only nine
o'clock. Stay and hang out a little bit more.</span></li>
<li><em>才</em> 六点 ，起 那么 早 干嘛 ？<span class="trans">It's only six.
Why did you get up so early?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="emphasis-with-就">Emphasis with 就</h2>
<h3 id="used-to-express-earliness">Used to Express Earliness</h3>
<p><a href="Expressing_earliness_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">就 indicates</a> that something has occurred earlier than
the speaker expected. There may be an accompanying feeling of
surprise or amazement.</p>
<h4 id="structure-3">Structure</h4>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + Obj.＋了</p>
</div>
<h4 id="examples-3">Examples</h4>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 下午 四点 <em>就</em> 吃 晚饭 了。<span class="trans">He ate dinner at
four in the afternoon.</span></li>
<li>她 十九 岁 <em>就</em> 结婚 了。<span class="trans">She got married when
she was 19.</span></li>
<li>我 八点 <em>就</em> 出门 了，路 上 堵车，我 迟到 了 十 分钟。<span class="trans">I
left at eight, but there was a traffic jam. I was ten minutes
late.</span></li>
<li>你们 这么 早 <em>就</em> 下班 了？<span class="trans">You guys leaving
work so early?</span></li>
<li>你 妹妹 十五岁<em>就</em> 上 大学 了？<span class="trans">Your younger
sister started college when she was only fifteen?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="used-to-express-small-quantity">Used to Express Small
Quantity</h3>
<p>就 can be used to mean "only," in the sense of a small
quantity.</p>
<h4 id="structure-4">Structure</h4>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 就 + (＋Verb) ＋ Measure Word ＋ Noun</p>
</div>
<h4 id="examples-4">Examples</h4>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我们 有 这么 多 人，你 <em>就</em> 点 了 三 个 菜？<span class=
"trans">.</span></li>
<li>你们 每天 <em>就</em> 睡 四 个 小时？ <span class="trans">Do you only
sleep four hours every day?</span></li>
<li>那时候 中国人 都 生 四 五 个 孩子，他们 家 <em>就</em> 生 一 个？<span class=
"trans">She got married when she was 19.</span></li>
<li>你 这么 大 一个 男人，<em>就</em> 吃 这么 一 小 碗饭？！<span class=
"trans">.</span></li>
<li>每 个 人 都 写 了 五页 纸，你 <em>就</em> 写 了 一 页 纸！<span class=
"trans">.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="Expressing_lateness_with_&quot;cai&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Expressing lateness with "cai"</a></li>
<li><a href="Expressing_earliness_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Expressing earliness with "jiu"</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;cai&quot;_used_for_small_numbers" title=
"wikilink">"cai" used for small numbers</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;Just&quot;_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">"Just" with "jiu"</a></li>
<li><a href="Emphasis_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Emphasis with "jiu"</a></li>
<li><a href=
"Expressing_&quot;as_one_likes&quot;_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Expressing "as one likes" with "jiu"</a></li>
<li><a href="Expressing_indifference_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Expressing indifference with "jiu"</a></li>
<li><a href="Limiting_scope_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Limiting scope with "jiu"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further
reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=
"Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%99%BE%E9%A1%B9%E8%AE%B2%E7%BB%83_-_%E5%88%9D%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7)"
title="wikilink">Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items -
Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级)</a> (p. 107)
<a href="http://www.amazon.cn/gp/product/B004WA6JSQ/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-23&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=536&amp;creative=3132&amp;creativeASIN=B004WA6JSQ">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:grammar_comparison" title=
"wikilink">Category:grammar comparison</a></p>
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