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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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  <h1></h1>

  <p>The character <span class="hanzi">才</span> (<span class="pinyin">cái</span>) can be used to <b>emphasize</b> that a number is <b>small</b>, or <b>less than expected</b>.</p>

  <h2>Contents</h2>

  <ol>
    <li>Structure<br/></li>

    <li>Examples<br/></li>

    <li>See also<br/></li>

    <li>Sources and further reading<br/></li>

    <ol>
      <li>Books<br/></li>
    </ol>
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  <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>

  <div>
    <div class="deux">
      <span style="color: rgb(255, 127, 80); font-family: NotoSansCJKsc; font-size: 30px;">才</span> (+ Verb) + Number + Measure Word + Noun
    </div>
  </div>

  <p>In English, we often express this by using "<b>only</b>" or "<b>just</b>" to emphasize that the number is small.</p>

  <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">你 才 二十 岁 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ cái èrshí suì.</span><br/><span> You're only twenty?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 家 公司 才 三 个 人 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhè jiā gōngsī cái sān gè rén.</span><br/><span> This company only has three employees.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 个 班 才 两 个 学生 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Zhège bān cái liǎng gè xuéshēng.</span><br/><span> This class only has two students.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 男朋友 工资 才 两 千 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ nánpéngyou gōngzī cái liǎng qiān?</span><br/><span> Your boyfriend's salary is only two thousand RMB?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">你 才 捐 十块 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Nǐ cái juān shí kuài?</span> <span> You only donated ten kuai?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">她 才 来 上海 两 个 月 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Tā cái lái Shànghǎi liǎng gè yuè.</span><br/><span> She's only been in Shanghai for two months.</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">这 顿 饭 才 花 了 二十 块 。</span><span class="pinyin">Zhè dùn fàn cái huā le èrshí kuài.</span><br/><span>This meal only cost twenty kuai.</span></li>

      <li><span class="vert"><span class="hanzi">你 才 一百 斤 ，还说 要 减肥 ？</span> One "jin" = 500g</span><span class="pinyin"> Nǐ cái yī bǎi jīn, hái shuō yào jiǎnféi?</span><br/><span> You're only 100 jin and you're talking about losing weight?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">我 才 吃 一 个 ，可以 再 吃 一 个 吗 ？</span> <span class="pinyin">Wǒ cái chī yī gè, kěyǐ zài chī yī gè ma?</span><br/><span> I only ate one. Can I have one more?</span></li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">他们 认识 才 三 个 星期 就 结婚 了 。</span> <span class="pinyin">Tāmen rènshi cái sān gè xīngqī jiù jiéhūn le.</span><br/><span> They only knew each other for three weeks before they got married.</span></li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="&quot;Just&quot;_with_&quot;jiu&quot;" title="wikilink">"Just" with "jiu"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Comparing_&quot;cai&quot;_and_&quot;jiu&quot;" title="wikilink">Comparing "cai" and "jiu"</a></li>

    <li><a href="Expressing_lateness_with_&quot;cai&quot;" title="wikilink">Expressing lateness with "cai"</a></li>
  </ul>

  <h2 id="sources-and-further-readings">Sources and Further Readings</h2>

  <h3 id="books">Books</h3>

  <ul>
    <li>Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (p. 302)</li>
  </ul>
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