Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"

刚 (gāng) and 刚才 (gāngcái) are similar, but they have somewhat different uses.

Both Come Before the Verb, But Have Different Emphasis

刚 emphasizes something "just" happened

"刚" is actually an adverb, and it is placed in front of the verb. It emphasizes that the action just happened a short time ago. It is similar to the English "just."

The key here is that "a short time ago is relative, and determined by the speaker. For this reason, 刚 can indicate that something "just" happened 1 second ago, 5 minutes ago, 2 hours ago, 3 weeks ago, or even a year ago. The absolute time is flexible, but from the speaker's perspective, it feels recent.

Structure

刚 + Verb

Examples

• 他 刚 来。(This gives the impression that not only did he just get here, but he should still be here.)He just came.
• 我 昨天 刚 看到 他。I just saw him yesterday.
• 我 刚 说过，不 想 再 说 一 遍。I just said it, and I don't want to say it again.
• 我们 去年 刚 去 过 美国 。 (This "just" is relative, clearly. The speaker feels that a year ago isn't too long ago.)We've just been to the States last year.

刚才 emphasizes "just now"

刚才 is a time noun (like 今天 and 现在), and it expresses that the time that has passed is really short, in near-absolute terms. We're talking no more than 1-30 minutes, in most situations. If it is placed before the verb, it emphasizes what happened in the time that has just passed. It is similar to the English "just now."

Structure

刚才 + Verb

Examples

• 他 刚才 来 了。(In this case, he's come and gone already. He's not here anymore.)He came just now.
• 我 刚才 看到 他 了。(Sounds like he's not here anymore; I just saw him, but don't see him now.)I just now saw him.
• 我 刚才 看 过 了，不 想 再 看 一 遍。I saw it just now, and I don't want to see it again.
• 我 觉得 现在 比 刚才 亮。(Here it's very clearly acting as a time noun.)I think it's brighter now that just before.

刚才 can be used as an attribute while 刚 cannot

刚才 can also directly modify a noun to indicate it is that one from "just now" or "just before."

Structure

刚才 + 的 + Noun

Examples

• 刚才 的 事情 太 让 人 生气 了。What just happened really made people angry.
• 刚 的 事情 太 让 人 生气 了。Just thing really makes people angry.

刚 Can Be Used with Adjectives

刚 is an adverb, and it can also spruce up an adjective. It has the same meaning as 刚刚. (刚才 cannot do this.)

Structure

刚 + Adjective

Examples

• 天 刚 晴。The sky just became clear.
• 一 个 面包 刚 够 吃，多 一 个 更 好。One piece of bread is just enough, one more is even better.

刚 and 刚才 with 了

You may have noticed that something interesting is going on with regards to 了 in the sentences with 刚 and 刚才. Namely, 了 is not usually required in sentences with 刚, but it is usually required in sentences with 刚才. This is because 刚才 refers to a time in the recent past, and you're usually indicated that something happened just now (started and finished).

Take these sentences for example:

• 我 昨天 买 了 。I bought it yesterday.
• 我 刚才 买 了 。I bought it just now.
• 我 明天 买 。I'll buy it tomorrow.

So these are all simple time "noun + verb" sentences. Notice that when they refer to the past (including the one with 刚才), the action is completed and you need 了. You don't need 了 for things that haven't happened yet (they're just plans, and nothing is completed). And remember that 刚才 always refers to the past.

OK, now what about 刚? Why does it not need 了?

The key is that you don't need a 了 in a sentence with 刚 if the verb indicates a clear result. So, to use the 买 example from above:

• 我 刚 买 。(The verb 买 is kind of like "try to buy"; there is no clear indication of result.)I just buy it.
• 我 刚 买 到 。(Adding 到 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.)I just bought it.
• 我 刚 买 了 。(Adding 了 after the verb also gives a clear indication of result.)I just bought it.
• 你 也 刚 知道 吗 ？ (The verb 知道 always includes the result of "knowing".)You also just found out?
• 妈妈 刚 看 。(No clear indication of result.)Mom just look.
• 妈妈 刚 看 到 。(Adding 到 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.)Mom just saw it.
• 妈妈 刚 看 了 。(Adding 了 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.)Mom just looked at it.

刚 and 刚才 with 没

OK, so there's also something going on with 没 in sentences with 刚 and 刚才. The deal here is that you can say something didn't happen just now (刚才), but you can't say that something just didn't happen (刚). [Saying that something "just didn't happen" only works in English if you interpret "just" to mean "simply."]

The takeaway? Just don't use 刚 in sentences where you use 没 to negate the past.

• 我 刚 没 去 。(Don't use 刚 with 没 in the past.)I just didn't go.
• 我 刚才 没 去 。(It's fine to use 刚才 with 没 in the past.)I didn't go just now.
• 她 刚 没 问 我 这个 问题 。(Don't use 刚 with 没 in the past.)She just didn't ask me this question.
• 她 刚才 没 问 我 这个 问题 。(It's fine to use 刚才 with 没 in the past.)She didn't ask me this question just now.
• 我 刚 没 喝 你的 啤酒 。(Don't use 刚 with 没 in the past.)I just didn't drink your beer.
• 我 刚才 没 喝 你的 啤酒 。(It's fine to use 刚才 with 没 in the past.)I didn't drink your beer just now.
• 我 刚 不 知道 。(OK, so it's not 没, but you still shouldn't use 刚 for something that didn't happen.)I just didn't know.
• 我 刚才 不 知道 。(It's fine to use 刚才 with exceptions where you use 不 in the past.)Just now I didn't know.

For that last pair of sentences, if you're not clear why it's OK to use 不 with 知道 in the past, go ahead and check out our article on the differences between 不 and 没. It goes beyond the basics into some of the trickier scenarios.

Examples of right and wrong sentences

• 我 刚才 回家。(You should use 了 with 刚才 here.)I just now go home.
• 我 刚 回家。(The verb 回 includes a clear enough indication of result.)I just got home.
• 我 刚才 没 想好 吃 什么，现在 我 想好 了。(No need to use 了 with 没.)Just now, I hadn't made up my mind what to eat, now I've made up my mind.
• 我 刚 没 想好 吃 什么，现在 我 想好 了。(刚 doesn't work with 没.)I just didn't make up my mind what to eat, now I've made up my mind.
• 他 刚才 没 听懂 我的 话 。(No need to use 了 with 没.)He didn't understand what I said just now.
• 他 刚 没 听懂我的话。(刚 doesn't work with 没.)He just didn't understand what I said.
• 我 也 是 刚 听说 这 个 消息。(The verb 听说 includes a clear enough indication of result.)I also just heard this news.
• 我 刚才 听说 了 这 个 消息。(You should use 了 with 刚才 here.)I heard this news just now.
• 昨天 他 刚才 来 过。(刚才 should be used for events a lot closer in time than 昨天.)He just now came yesterday.
• 昨天 他 刚 来 过。(刚 works with 昨天.)He just came yesterday.

Example dialog

• A: 你 刚才 去 哪儿 了？Where did you go just now?
• B: 我 刚 上 完 厕所。I just got done in the bathroom.
• A: 那 你 不 知道 刚才 的 事情 吧？Then you don't know what happened just now?
• B: 是 不 是 有人 吵架 了？Did some people have an argument?

See also

• "Just now" with "gangcai"
• "Just" with "gang"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (刚 p.216) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (刚才 p.217) →buy
• 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (p.28) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 40- 2) →buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 239) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p.446) →buy