Difference between revisions of "Comparing "cai" and "jiu""
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<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 我 等 了 两 个 小时 <em>才</em> 买 到 票。 <span class="trans">I had waited two hours before I bought the ticket.</span> | + | *我 等 了 两 个 小时 <em>才</em> 买 到 票。 <span class="trans">I had waited two hours before I bought the ticket.</span> |
| − | * 老板 十一 点 <em>才</em> 到 办公室。<span class="trans">The boss didn't come to the office until 11 o'clock.</span> | + | *老板 十一 点 <em>才</em> 到 办公室。<span class="trans">The boss didn't come to the office until 11 o'clock.</span> |
| − | * | + | *这么 多 工作， 最少 要 花 两 个 月<em>才</em> 能 做完。<span class="trans">.</span> |
</div> | </div> | ||
=== Expressing small quantity with "cai" === | === Expressing small quantity with "cai" === | ||
| + | |||
| + | “才”表示 only，放在加时量短语或动量短语的动词前，强调数量少或者动量弱。 | ||
==== Structure ==== | ==== Structure ==== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | + | Subj.＋才（＋Verb）＋ MW＋Noun | |
</div> | </div> | ||
| Line 34: | Line 36: | ||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * 我们 有 这么 多 人，你 <em>才</em> 点 了 三 个 菜。 <span class="trans">We have so many people and you only ordered three dishes.</span> | + | |
| + | *他 才 <em>才</em> 十 岁，不能 让 他 喝 酒！<span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| + | *我妈 <em>才</em> 四十 多 岁，可是 她 常常 说 “我已经老了”。<span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| + | *我们 有 这么 多 人，你 <em>才</em> 点 了 三 个 菜。 <span class="trans">We have so many people and you only ordered three dishes.</span> | ||
| + | *我 买 了 这么 多 衣服，<em>才</em> 花 了 五百 块 。 <span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| + | *他们 已经 生孩子了，但是 他们 结婚 <em>才</em> 半年！ <span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| + | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Emphasis with 就 == | == Emphasis with 就 == | ||
| − | 就 | + | === 就 is used to express earliness === |
| − | === Structure === | + | [[Expressing earliness with "jiu"|就 indicates that something has occurred earlier than expected]] |
| + | |||
| + | ==== Structure ==== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | 就 + Verb + | + | Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + Obj.＋了 |
</div> | </div> | ||
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<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * | + | *他 下午 四点 <em>就</em> 吃 晚饭 了。<span class="trans">He ate dinner at four in the afternoon.</span> |
| − | * | + | *她 十九 岁 <em>就</em> 结婚 了。<span class="trans">She got married when she was 19.</span> |
| − | * | + | *我 八点 <em>就</em> 出门 了，路 上 堵车，我 迟到 了 十 分钟。<span class="trans">I left at eight, but there was a traffic jam. I was ten minutes late.</span> |
| + | *你们 这么 早 <em>就</em> 下班 了？<span class="trans">Why are you guys leaving work so early?</span> | ||
| + | *你 妹妹 十五岁<em>就</em> 上大学 了？<span class="trans">Your younger sister went to college when she was only fifteen?</span> | ||
| + | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
| − | == 就 is used to express | + | === 就 is used to express small quantity === |
| − | + | “就”表示 only，放在加时量短语或动量短语的动词前，强调数量少或者动量弱。 | |
| − | === Structure === | + | ==== Structure ==== |
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | Subj. + | + | Subj.＋就 + （＋Verb）＋ MW＋Noun |
</div> | </div> | ||
==== Examples ==== | ==== Examples ==== | ||
| + | |||
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | == | + | *我们 有 这么 多 人，你 <em>就</em> 点 了 三 个 菜？<span class="trans">.</span> |
| + | *你们 每天 <em>就</em> 睡 四 个 小时？ <span class="trans">Do you only sleep four hours every day?</span> | ||
| + | *那时候 中国人 都 生 四 五 个 孩子，他们 家 <em>就</em> 生 一 个？<span class="trans">She got married when she was 19.</span> | ||
| + | *你 这么 大 一个 男人，<em>就</em> 吃 这么 一 小 碗饭？！<span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| + | *每 个 人 都 写 了 五页 纸，你 <em>就</em> 写 了 一 页 纸！<span class="trans">.</span> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 07:36, 25 August 2016
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
Both 才 (cái) and 就 (jiù) are adverbs that have to do with expressing time, and they are both placed in front of the verb. However, they both have a different tone and feel, and they express different lengths of time.
Emphasis with 才
Expressing lateness with "cai"
才 expresses that the speaker thinks that the time that passed since the action takes place was a long time. Sometimes it expresses anxiety, impatience, anger etc.
Structure
才 + Verb
Examples
- 我 等 了 两 个 小时 才 买 到 票。 I had waited two hours before I bought the ticket.
- 老板 十一 点 才 到 办公室。The boss didn't come to the office until 11 o'clock.
- 这么 多 工作， 最少 要 花 两 个 月才 能 做完。.
Expressing small quantity with "cai"
“才”表示 only，放在加时量短语或动量短语的动词前，强调数量少或者动量弱。
Structure
Subj.＋才（＋Verb）＋ MW＋Noun
Examples
- 他 才 才 十 岁，不能 让 他 喝 酒！.
- 我妈 才 四十 多 岁，可是 她 常常 说 “我已经老了”。.
- 我们 有 这么 多 人，你 才 点 了 三 个 菜。 We have so many people and you only ordered three dishes.
- 我 买 了 这么 多 衣服，才 花 了 五百 块 。 .
- 他们 已经 生孩子了，但是 他们 结婚 才 半年！ .
Emphasis with 就
就 is used to express earliness
就 indicates that something has occurred earlier than expected
Structure
Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + Obj.＋了
Examples
- 他 下午 四点 就 吃 晚饭 了。He ate dinner at four in the afternoon.
- 她 十九 岁 就 结婚 了。She got married when she was 19.
- 我 八点 就 出门 了，路 上 堵车，我 迟到 了 十 分钟。I left at eight, but there was a traffic jam. I was ten minutes late.
- 你们 这么 早 就 下班 了？Why are you guys leaving work so early?
- 你 妹妹 十五岁就 上大学 了？Your younger sister went to college when she was only fifteen?
就 is used to express small quantity
“就”表示 only，放在加时量短语或动量短语的动词前，强调数量少或者动量弱。
Structure
Subj.＋就 + （＋Verb）＋ MW＋Noun
Examples
- 我们 有 这么 多 人，你 就 点 了 三 个 菜？.
- 你们 每天 就 睡 四 个 小时？ Do you only sleep four hours every day?
- 那时候 中国人 都 生 四 五 个 孩子，他们 家 就 生 一 个？She got married when she was 19.
- 你 这么 大 一个 男人，就 吃 这么 一 小 碗饭？！.
- 每 个 人 都 写 了 五页 纸，你 就 写 了 一 页 纸！.
See also
- Expressing lateness with "cai"
- Expressing earliness with "jiu"
- "cai" used for small numbers
- "Just" with "jiu"
- Emphasis with "jiu"
- Expressing "as one likes" with "jiu"
- Expressing indifference with "jiu"
- Limiting scope with "jiu"
