Difference between revisions of "Expressing "just now" with "gangcai""
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| − | In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the [[time noun]] 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement. | + | In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the [[Time noun|time noun]] 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement. |
| − | + | == Structure == | |
| − | This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before | + | This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before or after the subject. |
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
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</div> | </div> | ||
| − | + | == Examples == | |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> | + | * 你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shuō</strong> shénme le? </span><span class="trans">What did you just say? </span> |
| − | * <em>刚才</em> 谁 <strong> 来 </strong> 了？<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> shéi <strong> lái </strong>le? </span> <span class="trans"> | + | * <em>刚才</em> 谁 <strong> 来 </strong> 了？<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> shéi <strong> lái </strong>le? </span><span class="trans">Who came just now? </span> |
| − | * <em>刚才</em> 你 <strong>去</strong> 哪儿 了？<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> nǐ <strong>qù</strong> nǎr le? </span> <span class="trans"> | + | * <em>刚才</em> 你 <strong>去</strong> 哪儿 了？<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> nǐ <strong>qù</strong> nǎr le? </span><span class="trans">Where did you go just now? </span> |
| − | * <em>刚才</em> 我 <strong>去</strong> 洗手间 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> wǒ <strong>qù</strong> xǐshǒujiān le. </span> <span class="trans"> | + | * <em>刚才</em> 我 <strong>去</strong> 洗手间 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> wǒ <strong>qù</strong> xǐshǒujiān le.</span><span class="trans">I just went to the restroom.</span> |
| − | * 老板 <em>刚才</em> <strong>生气</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shēngqì</strong> le. </span> <span class="trans">The boss just got angry. </span> | + | * 老板 <em>刚才</em> <strong>生气</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shēngqì</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">The boss just got angry.</span> |
| − | * 你们 <em>刚才</em> 在 <strong>看</strong> 什么？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>gāngcái</em> zài <strong>kàn</strong> shénme? </span> <span class="trans">What were you looking at? </span> | + | * 你们 <em>刚才</em> 在 <strong>看</strong> 什么？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>gāngcái</em> zài <strong>kàn</strong> shénme? </span><span class="trans">What were you looking at just now? </span> |
| − | * 不好意思，我 <em>刚才</em> <strong>出去</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin"> | + | * 不好意思，我 <em>刚才</em> <strong>出去</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>chūqù</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.</span> |
| − | * 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong>哭</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin"> | + | * 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong>哭</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobao <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>kū</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">The baby just cried.</span> |
| − | * 他们 <em>刚才</em> 去 <strong>开会</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāngcái</em> qù <strong>kāihuì</strong> le. </span> <span class="trans">They went to a meeting | + | * 他们 <em>刚才</em> 去 <strong>开会</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāngcái</em> qù <strong>kāihuì</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">They just went to a meeting.</span> |
| − | * <em>刚才</em> 有 人 <strong>找</strong> 你。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> | + | * <em>刚才</em> 有 人 <strong>找</strong> 你。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> yǒu rén <strong> zhǎo</strong> nǐ.</span><span class="trans">Just now, there was someone looking for you.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened ''just now'', as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use [[Expressing "just" with "gang"|刚 (gāng)]]. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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=== Books === | === Books === | ||
| − | + | {{Source|现代汉语八百词（增订本）|217}} | |
| − | |||
[[Category:A2 grammar points]] | [[Category:A2 grammar points]] | ||
| + | {{HSK|HSK3}} | ||
{{Basic Grammar|刚才|A2|刚才 + Verb|你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了？|grammar point|ASGQ1KOY}} | {{Basic Grammar|刚才|A2|刚才 + Verb|你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了？|grammar point|ASGQ1KOY}} | ||
{{Rel char|刚}} | {{Rel char|刚}} | ||
Latest revision as of 10:00, 2 April 2019
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Level
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Used for
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Keywords
In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the time noun 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement.
Structure
This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before or after the subject.
刚才 + Verb
Examples
- 你 刚才 说 什么 了？What did you just say?
- 刚才 谁 来 了？Who came just now?
- 刚才 你 去 哪儿 了？Where did you go just now?
- 刚才 我 去 洗手间 了。I just went to the restroom.
- 老板 刚才 生气 了。The boss just got angry.
- 你们 刚才 在 看 什么？What were you looking at just now?
- 不好意思，我 刚才 出去 了。I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.
- 宝宝 刚才 哭 了。The baby just cried.
- 他们 刚才 去 开会 了。They just went to a meeting.
- 刚才 有 人 找 你。Just now, there was someone looking for you.
Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened just now, as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use 刚 (gāng).
See also
- Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"
- Explaining results with "suoyi"
- Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi"
- Stating the effect before the cause (advanced article)
Sources and further reading
Books
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 217) [ →buy]
