Expressing "just" with "gang"

When something recently happened, or in the immediate past, in English we use the word "just." For example, if you pass a turn you were supposed to make, you might say, "Ugh, I was just there!" or "I just passed it!" In Chinese, "just" can be expressed with 刚 (gāng) or 刚刚 (gānggāng).

Expressing "just" happened

Structure

刚 (gāng) expresses an action that happened not long ago. 刚刚 (gānggāng) is used the same way, with the same meaning.

Subj. + 刚 + Verb

or

Subj. + 刚刚 + Verb

Examples

• 我们 刚 知道。 Wǒmen gāng zhīdao. We just found out.
• 她们 刚 走。Tāmen gāng zǒu. They just left.
• 老板 刚刚 到 办公室。 Lǎobǎn gānggāng dào bàngōngshì. The boss just came to the office.
• 我老婆 刚 生 完 孩子。 Wǒlǎopo gāng shēng wán háizi. My wife just finished giving birth to our baby.
• 你 刚刚 下班 吗？Nǐ gānggāng xiàbān ma? Did you just get off work?

"Just" happened, with a specific time period

Structure

刚 (gāng) can also express "from the time an action happens until the present time".

Subj. + 刚 + Verb. (+ Obj.) + Duration

Note that although we need to say "ago" in English, in this pattern there's no need for a word that means "ago."

Examples

• 我 刚 认识 她 十 天。 Wǒ gāng rènshi tā shí tiān. We just met each other ten days ago.
• 他 刚 来 中国 两 个 月。 Tā gāng lái Zhōngguó liǎng ge yuè. He just got to China two months ago.
• 我 弟弟 刚 工作 半年。 Wǒ dìdi gāng gōngzuò bàn nián . My younger brother just started working half a year ago.
• 她 刚 结婚 三 个 月 。 Tā gāng jiéhūn sān ge yuè. She just got married three months ago.
• 小心 点 ， 我 的 电脑 刚 买 两 天。 Xiǎoxīn, zhè ge diànnǎo gāng mǎi liǎng tiān. Be careful, I just bought that computer two days ago.

See also

• "Just now" with "gangcai"
• Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 216)→buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 239) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 81) →buy