Difference between revisions of "Using "cai" for small numbers"

 
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*你 <em>才</em> 二十 岁 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> èrshí suì?</span><span class="trans">You're only twenty? </span>
 
*你 <em>才</em> 二十 岁 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> èrshí suì?</span><span class="trans">You're only twenty? </span>
 
*这 个 班 <em>才</em> 两 个 学生 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège bān <em>cái</em> liǎng gè xuéshēng.</span><span class="trans">This class only has two students.</span>
 
*这 个 班 <em>才</em> 两 个 学生 。 <span class="pinyin">Zhège bān <em>cái</em> liǎng gè xuéshēng.</span><span class="trans">This class only has two students.</span>
*你 的 工资 <em>才</em> 两 千 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de gōngzī <em>cái</em> liǎng qiān?</span><span class="trans">Your salary is only two thousand RMB?</span>
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*你 的 工资 <em>才</em> 两 千 ?<span class="expl">Probably RMB, per month</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ de gōngzī <em>cái</em> liǎng qiān?</span><span class="trans">Your salary is only two thousand?</span>
 
*这 顿 饭 <em>才</em> 二十 块 ,太 便宜 了 !<span class="pinyin">Zhè dùn fàn <em>cái</em> èrshí kuài. Tài piányi le!</span><span class="trans">This meal only cost twenty kuai. It's too cheap!</span>
 
*这 顿 饭 <em>才</em> 二十 块 ,太 便宜 了 !<span class="pinyin">Zhè dùn fàn <em>cái</em> èrshí kuài. Tài piányi le!</span><span class="trans">This meal only cost twenty kuai. It's too cheap!</span>
 
*你 <em>才</em> 一百 斤 ,还 要 减肥 ?<span class="expl">One "jin" = 500g</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> yī bǎi jīn, hái yào jiǎnféi?</span><span class="trans">You're only 100 jin and you still want to lose some weight?</span>
 
*你 <em>才</em> 一百 斤 ,还 要 减肥 ?<span class="expl">One "jin" = 500g</span><span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>cái</em> yī bǎi jīn, hái yào jiǎnféi?</span><span class="trans">You're only 100 jin and you still want to lose some weight?</span>
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才 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun
 
才 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun
 
</div>
 
</div>
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In this pattern, adding a 了 after the verb is optional.
  
 
=== Examples ===
 
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*她 <em>才</em> 来 两 个 月 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cái</em> lái liǎng gè yuè.</span><span class="trans">She's been been for only two months.</span>
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*她 <em>才</em> 来 两 个 月 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>cái</em> lái le liǎng gè yuè.</span><span class="trans">She's been here for only two months.</span>
*这 家 店 关门 了 ?可是 它 <em>才</em> 开业 一 个 星期 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiā diàn guānmén le? Kěshì tā kāiyè <em>cái</em> yī gè xīngqī.</span><span class="trans">This shop is out of business? But it's only been one week since it opened.</span>
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*这 家 店 关门 了 ?可是 它 <em>才</em> 开业 一 个 星期 。<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiā diàn guānmén le? Kěshì tā <em>cái</em> kāiyè yī gè xīngqī.</span><span class="trans">This shop is out of business? But it's only been one week since it opened.</span>
*已经 两天 了 ,你 <em>才</em> 看完 一 页 ?<span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng liǎngtiān le, nǐ <em>cái</em> kàn wán yī yè?</span><span class="trans">It's been two days and you only finished reading one page?</span>
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*已经 两 天 了 ,你 <em>才</em> 看完 一 页 ?<span class="pinyin">Yǐjīng liǎng tiān le, nǐ <em>cái</em> kàn wán yī yè?</span><span class="trans">It's been two days and you only finished reading one page?</span>
*我们 <em>才</em> 玩 一会儿 ,再 玩 一会儿 吧 ?<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>cái</em> wán yīhuìr, zài wán yīhuìr ba?</span><span class="trans">We only played for a short while. Can we play a little bit longer?</span>
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*我们 <em>才</em> 玩 一会儿 ,再 玩 一会儿 吧 ?<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>cái</em> wán le yīhuìr, zài wán yīhuìr ba?</span><span class="trans">We've only played for a short while. Can we play a little bit longer?</span>
*他们 结婚 了 ?他们 <em>才</em> 认识 三 个 月 !<span class="pinyin">Tāmen jiéhūn le? Tāmen <em>cái</em> rènshi sān gè yuè!</span><span class="trans">They got married? They've only knew each other for three months!</span>
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*他们 结婚 了 ?他们 <em>才</em> 认识 三 个 月 !<span class="pinyin">Tāmen jiéhūn le? Tāmen <em>cái</em> rènshi sān gè yuè!</span><span class="trans">They got married? They've only known each other for three months!</span>
  
 
</div>
 
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
[[Category: Adverbs]]
 
[[Category: Adverbs]]
  

Latest revision as of 08:29, 17 April 2019

The character 才 (cái) can be used to emphasize that a number is small, or less than expected.

Used as a Verb

Structure

In this case, 才 means "is only" or "only have."

才 + Number + [Measure Word] + Noun

In English, we often express this by using "only" or "just" to emphasize that the number is small.

Examples

  • 二十 岁 ?cái èrshí suì?You're only twenty?
  • 这 个 班 两 个 学生 。 Zhège bān cái liǎng gè xuéshēng.This class only has two students.
  • 你 的 工资 两 千 ?Probably RMB, per monthNǐ de gōngzī cái liǎng qiān?Your salary is only two thousand?
  • 这 顿 饭 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!
  • 一百 斤 ,还 要 减肥 ?One "jin" = 500gcái yī bǎi jīn, hái yào jiǎnféi?You're only 100 jin and you still want to lose some weight?

Used with a Verb

Structure

才 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun

In this pattern, adding a 了 after the verb is optional.

Examples

  • 来 了 两 个 月 。cái lái le liǎng gè yuè.She's been here for only two months.
  • 这 家 店 关门 了 ?可是 它 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.
  • 已经 两 天 了 ,你 看完 一 页 ?Yǐjīng liǎng tiān le, nǐ cái kàn wán yī yè?It's been two days and you only finished reading one page?
  • 我们 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?
  • 他们 结婚 了 ?他们 认识 三 个 月 !Tāmen jiéhūn le? Tāmen cái rènshi sān gè yuè!They got married? They've only known each other for three months!

See also

Sources and Further Readings

Books