Difference between revisions of "Expressing lateness with "cai""

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{{Grammar Box}} \r\nOne of the ways to express lateness in Chinese is with 才 (cái).\r\n== Structure ==\r\nTo express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才. \r\n<div class="jiegou">\r\nSubject + Time + 才 + Verb + Object\r\n</div>\r\nIn 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.\r\n== Examples ==\r\n<div class="liju">\r\n* 我们 十点 上课，可是 他 十点一刻 <em>才</em> 来。<span class="trans">We have class at 10 o'clock, but he didn't come until 10:15.</span>
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{{Grammar Box}}  
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* 昨天 晚上 我的 女儿 一点半 <em>才</em> 回家。<span class="trans">My daughter didn't get home until 1:30 last night.</span>
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* 他 二十五岁 <em>才</em> 大学毕业。<span class="trans">He didn't graduate from college until he was 25.</span>\r\n</div>\r\nNote 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:\r\n<div class="liju">\r\n<ul>
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To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才 (cái). In English, this might be expressed with "as late as" or "not until." This form is often used with a time of some sort, like a specific time of day, age, etc. This pattern is essentially the opposite of [[Expressing earliness with "jiu"|using 就 (jiù) to express earliness]].
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<li class="x"> 昨天 晚上 我的 女儿 一点半 <em>才</em> 回家 <strong>了</strong> 。</li>
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</ul>\r\n</div>\r\n==See also==\r\n* [[Expressing earliness with "jiu"]]
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== Structure ==
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* [[Comparing "cai" and "jiu"]]\r\n== Sources and further reading ==\r\n=== Books ===\r\n* [[Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar]] (pp. 117-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899 →buy]
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* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 139) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
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<div class="jiegou">
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*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）]] (p. 239)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]\r\n=== Websites ===\r\n* East Asia Student: [http://eastasiastudent.net/2619/china/mandarin/cmn-grammar/jiu-cai-early-as-not-until/ 就 and 才 in Mandarin: as early as, not until]\r\n[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb
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[[Category: Adverbs]]\r\n{{Basic Grammar|才|B1|才|你 现在 <em>才</em> 来 啊。|grammar point|ASG3WTCJ}}
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</div>
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== Examples ==
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<div class="liju">
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*我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 <em>才</em> 到 家 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn <em>cái</em> dào jiā.</span><span class="trans">I didn't arrive at home until eleven o'clock last night.</span>
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*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>
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*她 四十 岁 <em>才</em> 结婚 。<span class="pinyin">Tā sìshí suì <em>cái</em> jiéhūn.</span><span class="trans">She didn't get married until she was forty.</span>
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*我 女儿 昨天 十二 点 <em>才</em> 睡觉 ，作业 太 多 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér zuótiān shí'èr diǎn <em>cái</em> shuìjiào, zuòyè tài duō le.</span><span class="trans">My daughter didn't go to bed until 12 o'clock yesterday. Too much homework.</span>
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*你 九 点 上班 ，八 点 半 <em>才</em> 起床 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiǔ diǎn shàngbān, bā diǎn bàn <em>cái</em> qǐchuáng?</span><span class="trans">You start work at nine o'clock, but don't get up until 8:30?</span>
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*飞机 刚刚 <em>才</em> 起飞 ，晚点 了 两 个 小时 。<span class="pinyin">Fēijī gānggāng <em>cái</em> qǐfēi, wǎndiǎn le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">The airplane just took off. It was delayed for two hours.</span>
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*电影 七 点 半 开始 ，可是 因为 堵车 ，我们 八 点 <em>才</em> 到 。<span class="pinyin">Diànyǐng qī diǎn bàn kāishǐ, kěshì yīnwèi dǔchē, wǒmen bā diǎn <em>cái</em> dào.</span><span class="trans">The movie began at 7:30, but we didn't arrive until eight because of traffic.</span>
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</div>
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You can use 才 alone with the verb to indicate the lateness when the context is clear:
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<div class="liju">
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*你 怎么 <em>才</em> 吃 晚饭 ？已经 十 点 了 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme <em>cái</em> chī wǎnfàn? Yǐjīng shí diǎn le.</span><span class="trans">How come you are eating dinner now? It's 10 pm.</span>
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*你 怎么 <em>才</em> 来 ？我们 等 了 半 个 多 小时 。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme <em>cái</em> lái? Wǒmen děng le bàn gè duō xiǎoshí.</span><span class="trans">How come you came here so late? We've waited for more than half an hour.</span>
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</div>
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Note that verbs following 才 should not take 了.
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<div class="liju">
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<ul>
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<li class="x">我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 <em>才</em> 到 家 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn <em>cái</em> dào jiā <strong>le</strong>.</span></li>
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<li class="x">她 四十 岁 <em>才</em> 结婚 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tā sìshí suì <em>cái</em> jiéhūn <strong>le</strong>.</span></li>
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</ul>
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</div>
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== See also ==
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* [[Expressing earliness with "jiu"]]
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* [[Using "cai" for small numbers]]
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* [[Comparing "cai" and "jiu"]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
 +
 
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|101}}
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{{Source|Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar|117-8}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|139}}
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{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册）|239}}
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
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[[Category: Adverbs]]
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{{Basic Grammar|才|B1|Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb|他 二十五 岁 <em>才</em> 上 大学 。|grammar point|ASG3WTCJ}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
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{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
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{{Similar|Expressing not knowing how to do something using "hao"}}
 
 
{{Similar|Comparing "cai" and "jiu"}}
 
{{Similar|Comparing "cai" and "jiu"}}
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{{Similar|Using "cai" for small numbers}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing earliness with "jiu"}}
 
{{Similar|Expressing earliness with "jiu"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "all the way until" with "zhidao"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "when" with "dengdao"}}
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{{POS|Adverbs}}

Latest revision as of 08:16, 4 March 2019

To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才 (cái). In English, this might be expressed with "as late as" or "not until." This form is often used with a time of some sort, like a specific time of day, age, etc. This pattern is essentially the opposite of using 就 (jiù) to express earliness.

Structure

Subj. + Time + 才 + Verb

Examples

  • 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 才 到 家 。Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn cái dào jiā.I didn't arrive at home until eleven o'clock last night.
  • 他 二十 五 岁 才 上 大学 。Tā èrshí-wǔ suì cái shàng dàxué.He didn't go to college until he was 25.
  • 她 四十 岁 才 结婚 。Tā sìshí suì cái jiéhūn.She didn't get married until she was forty.
  • 我 女儿 昨天 十二 点 才 睡觉 ，作业 太 多 了 。Wǒ nǚ'ér zuótiān shí'èr diǎn cái shuìjiào, zuòyè tài duō le.My daughter didn't go to bed until 12 o'clock yesterday. Too much homework.
  • 你 九 点 上班 ，八 点 半 才 起床 ？Nǐ jiǔ diǎn shàngbān, bā diǎn bàn cái qǐchuáng?You start work at nine o'clock, but don't get up until 8:30?
  • 飞机 刚刚 才 起飞 ，晚点 了 两 个 小时 。Fēijī gānggāng cái qǐfēi, wǎndiǎn le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.The airplane just took off. It was delayed for two hours.
  • 电影 七 点 半 开始 ，可是 因为 堵车 ，我们 八 点 才 到 。Diànyǐng qī diǎn bàn kāishǐ, kěshì yīnwèi dǔchē, wǒmen bā diǎn cái dào.The movie began at 7:30, but we didn't arrive until eight because of traffic.

You can use 才 alone with the verb to indicate the lateness when the context is clear:

  • 你 怎么 才 吃 晚饭 ？已经 十 点 了 。Nǐ zěnme cái chī wǎnfàn? Yǐjīng shí diǎn le.How come you are eating dinner now? It's 10 pm.
  • 你 怎么 才 来 ？我们 等 了 半 个 多 小时 。 Nǐ zěnme cái lái? Wǒmen děng le bàn gè duō xiǎoshí.How come you came here so late? We've waited for more than half an hour.

Note that verbs following 才 should not take 了.

  • 我 昨天 晚上 十一 点 才 到 家 了 。Wǒ zuótiān wǎnshang shíyī diǎn cái dào jiā le.
  • 她 四十 岁 才 结婚 了 。Tā sìshí suì cái jiéhūn le.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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