Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"
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Keywords
刚 (gāng) and 刚才 (gāngcái) are similar, but they have somewhat different uses.
Contents
刚 as "Just happened"
刚 is actually an adverb, and it is placed in front of the verb. It emphasizes that the action just happened a short time ago. It is similar to the English "just." 刚刚 and 刚 are interchangeable in this case.
The key here is that a short time ago is relative, and determined by the speaker. For this reason, 刚 can indicate that something "just" happened 1 second ago, 5 minutes ago, 2 hours ago, 3 weeks ago, or even a year ago. The absolute time is flexible, but from the speaker's perspective, it feels recent.
刚 before An Verb
A few examples:
- 他 刚 到 。This gives the impression that not only did he just get here, but he should still be here.He just arrived.
- 我们 昨天 刚刚 见 过 。We just saw each other yesterday.
- 真不巧 ，老板 刚 走 。What a bad coincidence. The boss just left.
It would be wrong to use 刚才 in this case:
- 他 刚才 到 。He arrived just now.
- 我们 昨天 刚才 见 过 。刚才 should be used for events a lot closer in time than 昨天.We just saw each other yesterday.
- 真不巧 ，老板 刚才 走 。What a bad coincidence. The boss just left.
刚 before An Adjective
刚, as an adverb, can also be placed in front of the verb while 刚才 can't be used this way.
A few examples:
- 天 刚 晴 。The sky just cleared up.
- 他 的 感冒 刚刚 好 。He just recovered from his cold.
- 面包 刚 熟 ， 过 一会儿 再 吃 。 The bread just got done cooking. Eat in a little bit.
刚才 as "Just Now"
刚才 is a time noun (like 今天 and 现在), and it expresses that the time that has passed is really short, in near-absolute terms. We're talking no more than 1-30 minutes, in most situations. If it is placed before the verb, it emphasizes what happened in the time that has just passed. It is similar to the English "just now."
A few examples:
- 他 刚才 来 过 。In this case, he's come and gone already. He's not here anymore.He came just now.
- 我 刚才 看到 他 了。Sounds like he's not here anymore; I just saw him, but don't see him now.I just now saw him.
- 我 现在 感觉 比 刚才 好 一点 。 I feel a little better now than just before.
刚才, as a time noun, can directly modify a noun to indicate it is that one from "just now" or "just before," while 刚 can't be used this way.
- 刚 的 事情 太 让 人 生气 了 。What just happened is really upsetting.
- 他 刚 的 态度 很 差 。The attitude that he just showed is bad.
- 刚才 的 事情 太 让 人 生气 了 。What just happened is really upsetting.
- 他 刚才 的 态度 很 差 。The attitude that he just showed is bad.
刚 and 刚才 with 了
You may have noticed that something interesting is going on with regards to 了 in the sentences with 刚 and 刚才. Namely, 了 is not usually required in sentences with 刚, but it is usually required in sentences with 刚才. This is because 刚才 refers to a time in the recent past, and you're usually indicated that something happened just now (started and finished).
Take these sentences for example:
- 我 昨天 买 了 。I bought it yesterday.
- 我 刚才 买 了 。I bought it just now.
- 我 明天 买 。I'll buy it tomorrow.
So these are all simple time "subject + verb" sentences. Notice that when they refer to the past (including the one with 刚才), the action is completed and you need 了. You don't need 了 for things that haven't happened yet (they're just plans, and nothing is completed). And remember that 刚才 always refers to the past.
OK, now what about 刚? Why does it not need 了?
The key is that you don't need a 了 in a sentence with 刚 if the verb indicates a clear result. So, to use the 买 example from above:
- 我 刚 买 。The verb 买 is kind of like "try to buy"; there is no clear indication of result.I just buy it.
- 我 刚 买到 。Adding 到 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.I just bought it.
- 我 刚 买 了 。Adding 了 after the verb also gives a clear indication of result.I just bought it.
- 你 刚 知道 吗 ？ The verb 知道 always includes the result of "knowing."You just found out?
- 妈妈 刚 看 。No clear indication of result.Mom just look.
- 妈妈 刚 看到 。Adding 到 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.Mom just saw it.
- 妈妈 刚 看 了 。Adding 了 to the verb gives a clear indication of result.Mom just looked at it.
刚 and 刚才 with 没
OK, so there's also something going on with 没 in sentences with 刚 and 刚才. The deal here is that you can say something didn't happen just now (刚才), but you can't say that something just didn't happen (刚). [Saying that something "just didn't happen" only works in English if you interpret "just" to mean "simply."]
The takeaway? Just don't use 刚 in sentences where you use 没 to negate the past.
- 我 刚 没 看到 。Don't use 刚 with 没 in the past.I just didn't see it.
- 我 刚才 没 看到 。I didn't see it just now.
- 我 刚 没 听懂 。I didn't understand just now.
- 我 刚才 没 听懂 。I didn't understand just now.
- 我 刚 不 知道 。OK, so it's not 没, but you still shouldn't use 刚 for something that didn't happen.I didn't know just now.
- 我 刚才 不 知道 。I didn't know just now.
If you're not clear why it's OK to use 不 with 知道 in the past, go ahead and check out our article on the differences between 不 and 没. It goes beyond the basics into some of the trickier scenarios.
Right or Wrong
Examples
- 他 刚 醒 。He just wok up.
- 他 刚才 醒 了 。You should use 了 with 刚才 here.He woke up a moment ago.
- 我 刚 听说 这 个 消息。The verb 听说 includes a clear enough indication of result.I just heard this news.
- 我 刚才 听说 了 这 个 消息 。You should use 了 with 刚才 here.I heard this news just now.
Example dialog
- A: 你 刚才 去 哪儿 了 ？Where did you go just now?
- B: 我 去 上厕所 了 。刚 回来 。I went to the bathroom. I just got back.
- A: 那 你 不 知道 刚才 的 事情 吧 ？Then you don't know what happened just now?
- B: 是 不 是 有人 吵架 了？Did some people have an argument?
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 216) [ →buy]
- 现代汉语虚词例释 (pp. 190) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 217) [ →buy]
- 对外汉语教学语法释疑201例 (pp. 28) [ →buy]
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 40- 2) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 239) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
Dictionaries
- 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 446) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
