Expressing "just" with "gang"
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Used for
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Keywords
Sometimes things happen in a flash, or they happen a very short time before you talk about them. In English we use the word "just", and in Chinese we express "just" with 刚 (gāng).
Contents
Expressing "just" happened
Structure
刚 expresses that the action happened not long ago. It's used the same way as 刚刚.
Subject + 刚 + Verb
Examples
- 我 刚 知道。I just found out.
- 他 刚 工作。He just started working.
- 我 刚 买 了 很 多 水果。I just bought a lot of fruit.
- 他 刚 走。He just left.
- 我们 刚 下班。We just got off work.
- 宝宝 刚 起床。The baby just woke up.
- 老公 刚 回 家。The husband just came home.
- 我 刚 吃 完 饭。I just finished eating.
- 我 刚 做 完 今天 的 工作。I just finished today's work.
- 他 刚 来 我们 公司。He just came to our office.
Expressing "from then until now"
Structure
刚 can also express "from the time an action happens until the present time".
Subject + 刚 + VO + Duration
Examples
- 我 刚 到 这里 五 分钟。I just got here five minutes ago.
- 我 刚 来 中国 半 年。I just got to China six months ago.
- 我 刚 学 中文 两 个 星期。I just started studying Chinese two weeks ago.
- 他 刚 走 十 分钟。He just walked five minutes.
- 我们 刚 认识 一 个 月。We just knew each other for a month.
- 他 刚 工作 一 年。He just worked a year.
- 小心 点，这 个 电脑 刚 买 两 天。Be careful, I just bought that computer two days ago.
- 我 也 刚 知道 两 分钟。I just found out two minutes ago.
- 他 刚 出去。He just went out.
- 他 刚 去 美国 一 个 星期。He just went to America for one week.
Make sure you pay attention to "刚来一会儿." and "刚来没一会儿。". Both have the same meaning, expressing that the 来 (arrival) happened just a short while ago.
- 我 刚 来 到 这 个 公 司。 I just arrived at this company.
- 他 才 刚 来 没 以 会 儿。 He just arrived not long ago.
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 216)→buy
- 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 239) →buy
- Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 81) →buy
