Emphasis with "jiushi"

As an adverb, 就 (jiù) can be placed before the predicate to add emphasis. It often has an intense or provocative feel to it, like how we sometimes say in English "it's just not right!", or other similar phrases. It often appears as 就是.

Structure

It's as simple as putting 就 in front of a verb.

就(是) + Verb

Examples

• 我就不说，他能怎么样？Wǒ jiù bù shuō, tā néng zěnme yàng?I just can't say, what can he do?
• 我就 想 跟 大家 一起 去。Wǒ jiù gēn dàjiā yìqǐ qù.I just want to go together with everyone.
• 她就是 不 听 我 的 话 。Tā jiù shì bù tīng wǒ de huà.She just wouldn't listen to me.
• 那个 女孩 没有 什么 特别 的，可 我弟弟就是 喜欢 她。 Nà ge nǚhái méiyǒu shénme tèbié de, kě wǒ dìdi jiù shì xǐhuan tā. That girl has got nothing special but my younger brother just likes her.
• 谁 都 知道 抽烟 对 身体 不好，可 很多人 就是 不 戒烟。 Shéi dōu zhīdao chōuyān duì shēntǐ bùhǎo, kě hěn duō rénjiù shì bú jièyān. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your body but a lot of people just don't quit smoking.

See also

• "Just" with "jiu"
• Comparing "cai" and "jiu"
• Events in quick succession with "yi... jiu"
• Expressing earliness with "jiu"
• Expressing indifference with "jiu"
• Limiting scope with "jiu"
• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语虚词例释 (p. 316)→buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 733) →buy