eric
/
ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
							12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879808182838485868788899091929394
							<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html>

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
<head>
<title></title>
<link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Using "cai" for small numbers
</h1>

<p>The character 才 (cái) can be used to emphasize that a number is small, or less than expected.
</p>
<h2>Contents</h2>

  
<div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Used as a Verb </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Used with a Verb </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.1 Structure </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2.2 Examples </span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and Further Readings </span></li>
<ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Books</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>Used as a Verb</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<p>In this case, 才 means "is only" or "only have."
</p>
<div class="deux">才 + Number + [Measure Word] + Noun</div>

<p>In English, we often express this by using "only" or "just" to emphasize that the number is small.
</p>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 才 二十 岁 ？ Nǐ cái èrshí suì? You're only twenty? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这 个 班 才 两 个 学生 。 Zhège bān cái liǎng gè xuéshēng. This class only has two students. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 的 工资 才 两 千 ？ Nǐ de gōngzī cái liǎng qiān? Your salary is only two thousand RMB? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这 顿 饭 才 二十 块 ，太 便宜 了 ！ Zhè dùn fàn cái èrshí kuài. Tài piányi le! This meal only cost twenty kuai. It's too cheap! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 才 一百 斤 ，还 要 减肥 ？One "jin" = 500g Nǐ cái yī bǎi jīn, hái yào jiǎnféi? You're only 100 jin and you still want to lose some weight?</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>

<h2>Used with a Verb</h2>

<h3>Structure</h3>

<div class="deux">才 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun</div>

<p>In this pattern, adding a 了 after the verb is optional.
</p>
<h3>Examples</h3>

<div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">她 才 来 了 两 个 月 。
Tā cái lái le liǎng gè yuè.
She's been here for only two months. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这 家 店 关门 了 ？可是 它 才 开业 一 个 星期 。
Zhè jiā diàn guānmén le? Kěshì tā cái kāiyè yī gè xīngqī.
This shop is out of business? But it's only been one week since it opened. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">已经 两天 了 ，你 才 看完 一 页 ？
Yǐjīng liǎngtiān le, nǐ cái kàn wán yī yè?
It's been two days and you only finished reading one page? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">我们 才 玩 了 一会儿 ，再 玩 一会儿 吧 ？
Wǒmen cái wán le yīhuìr, zài wán yīhuìr ba?
We've only played for a short while. Can we play a little bit longer? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他们 结婚 了 ？他们 才 认识 三 个 月 ！
Tāmen jiéhūn le? Tāmen cái rènshi sān gè yuè!
They got married? They've only knew each other for three months!</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>See also</h3>
<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">"Just" with "jiu"
Comparing "cai" and "jiu"
Expressing lateness with "cai"
Sources and Further Readings</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Books</h3>

<div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 302) →buy</span><br/></li>
</ul>
</div>
</body>
</html>