Expressing "only after" with "cai"

These patterns using 才 are loosely related, and revolve around a meaning of "only when," "only after," "only then," or "not until." They suggest a condition without stating the condition as explicitly as in the pattern 只有……才…….

才 as "Only When" or "Only After"

Structure

⋯⋯，才⋯⋯

⋯⋯ ，才 ⋯⋯

Examples

In these examples, you'll notice that the first half of the sentence involves some kind of "difficulty," usually involving spending a lot of time, money, or effort. The second half tells what was finally achieved after spending all that time, money, or effort. The English translation which tends to work most reliably for these sentences is "only after," but multiple translations are possible.

• 我 花 了 八 千 块 才 买 到 了 旅游 的 东西。 Wǒ huā le bā qiān kuài cái mǎi dào le lǚyóu de dōngxi.Only after spending 8000 RMB was I able to buy all the things for the trip.
• 小明 花 了 很 多 心思 才 设计 出 了 这 张 海报。Xiǎomíng huā le hěn duō xīnsi cái shèjì chū le zhè zhāng hǎibào.Only after putting a lot of thought into it was Xiao Ming able to design this poster.
• 他 用 了 很 多 年 才 原谅 了 他的 妈妈。cái .only after many years was he able to forgive his mom.
• 那 本 书 我 看 了 两 遍 才 看 懂。cái .I had to read that book twice in order to understand it.
• 我 去 了 三 次 北京 才 见 到 了 那个 客户。cái .Only after making three trips to Beijing was I finally able to meet that client.
• 他 找 了 好 几 个 月 才 找到 合适 的 房子 。cái .He searched for quite a few months, and only then was he able to find a suitable apartment.

才 as "Not Until"

This use of 才 is quite similar to the 才 used to express lateness. The two sort of blend together.

Structure

⋯⋯，才⋯⋯

⋯⋯ ，才 ⋯⋯

Examples

Note that rather than following a set pattern, the English translation sentences below make use of a number of different translations. "Not until," "didn't... until," "only then," and "only after" may all be appropriate, depending on the context of the original Chinese.

• 她 做 完 了 功课 才 睡觉。cái .Not until she finished her homework did she go to sleep.
• 他 锁 上 了 门 才 想起来 没有 带 钥匙。cái .He didn't realize he had forgotten to bring his key until after he had locked the door.
• 我 把 牛奶 喝 完 了， 才 发现 牛奶 过期 了。cái .I finished off the milk, and only then did I discover that it was expired.
• 等 妈妈 打 来 了 电话，宝宝 才 不 哭 了。cái .Only after her mom called did the baby stop crying.

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 95, 263, 266) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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