Difference between revisions of "Expressing earliness with "jiu""
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== Sources and further reading == | == Sources and further reading == | ||
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| + | === Books === | ||
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| + | * [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 102 - 103) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy] | ||
=== Websites === | === Websites === | ||
Revision as of 07:39, 4 January 2012
Just as 才 can express lateness, 就 can be used to indicate that something happened earlier than expected. The structure is:
Subject + Time + 就 + Verb + Object
In English this might be expressed with "as early as", but usually it's not specifically marked.
Some examples:
- 我们 早上 九点 上课，可是 他 八点 就 来了。
- 她 十八 岁 就 大学 毕业 了。
- 我们 上次 出去 玩，他 九点 就 回去 了。
- 我 五 点 钟 就 到 了 饭馆，你 让 我 等 这么 久，罚 你 请客！
From the example sentences it is clear that 了 naturally occurs with a verb used after 就. This is because verbs following 就 generally have the feeling of being completed.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 102 - 103) →buy
Websites
- East Asia Student: 就 and 才 in Mandarin: as early as, not until
