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

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Note 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 "昨天晚上我的女儿一点半才回家了"
  
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==

Revision as of 02:45, 19 October 2011

To express that something happened later than expected, you can use 才. The structure is:

Subject + Time + 才 + Verb + Object

In English this might be expressed with "as late as" or "not until". Some examples:

  • 我们 十点 上课,可是 他 十点一刻 来。
  • 昨天 晚上 我的 女儿 一点半 回家。
  • 他 二十八 岁 拿到 驾驶执照。

Note 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 "昨天晚上我的女儿一点半才回家了"

Sources and further reading

Websites