Difference between revisions of "Expressing lateness with "cai""
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | *我 昨天 十 点 <em>才</em> | + | *你 怎么 <em>才</em> 回来 ？已经 十二点 多 了 。<span class="trans">.</span> |
| − | *他 二十 五 岁 <em>才</em> | + | *这 件 事 我 刚刚 <em>才</em> 知道 。<span class="trans">.</span> |
| − | *我们 十点 | + | * <em>才</em> 。<span class="trans">.</span> |
| − | + | * <em>才</em> 。<span class="trans">.</span> | |
| − | *我 等 了 十 分钟，他 <em>才</em> 给 我 | + | *我 昨天 十 点 <em>才</em> 下班 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān shí diǎn <em>cái</em> xiàbān.</span><span class="trans">I got off work at ten o'clock yesterday.</span> |
| + | *他 二十 五 岁 <em>才</em> 上 大学 。<span class="pinyin">Tā èrshí-wǔ suì <em>cái</em> shàng dàxué.</span><span class="trans">He didn't go to college until he was 25.</span> | ||
| + | *我们 十点 上课，老师 十 点 半 <em>才</em> 来 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen shí diǎn shàngkè, lǎoshī shí diǎn bàn <em>cái</em> lái.</span><span class="trans">We have class at 10 o'clock and the teacher didn't come until half past ten.</span> | ||
| + | *我 等 了 十 分钟，他 <em>才</em> 给 我 开门 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ děng le shí fēnzhōng, tā<em>cái</em> gěi wǒ kāimén.</span><span class="trans">He didn't open the door until I waited for ten minutes.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 09:56, 31 August 2017
-
Level
-
Similar to
-
Used for
-
Keywords
One of the ways to express lateness in Chinese is with 才 (cái).
Structure
To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才.
Subj. + Time Word + 才 + Verb + Obj.
In English this might be expressed with "as late as" or "not until." This form is often used with a time number of some sort, like a specific time, age etc.
Examples
- 你 怎么 才 回来 ？已经 十二点 多 了 。.
- 这 件 事 我 刚刚 才 知道 。.
- 才 。.
- 才 。.
- 我 昨天 十 点 才 下班 。I got off work at ten o'clock yesterday.
- 他 二十 五 岁 才 上 大学 。He didn't go to college until he was 25.
- 我们 十点 上课，老师 十 点 半 才 来 。We have class at 10 o'clock and the teacher didn't come until half past ten.
- 我 等 了 十 分钟，他 才 给 我 开门 。He didn't open the door until I waited for ten minutes.
Note that verbs following 才 cannot take 了，as the action does not have the sense of being completed. So, in the above situation, it is wrong to say:
- 昨天 晚上 我的 女儿 一点半 才 回家 了 。
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 117-8) →buy
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 139) →buy
- 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 239)→buy
Websites
- East Asia Student: 就 and 才 in Mandarin: as early as, not until
