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. When 是 is used as the verb after 就，"是" can't be left out. "就是" means "is exactly".

就 + 是 + Noun

In another case，"是" can be omitted. And it's also used in a negative form by putting 不 before the verb.

就（是）+ Verb

Examples

• 你 就 是 个 笨蛋！Nǐ jiù shì gè bèndàn!You're exactly a moron!
• 他 就 是 个 骗子！Tā jiù shì gè piànzi!He's exactly a liar!
• 乔布斯 就 是 我 的 偶像！Qiáobùsī jiù shì wǒ de ǒuxiàng!Jobs is exactly my idol!
• 我 就 要 去！Wǒ jiù yào qù! I just want to go!
• 我 就是 喜欢 他。Wǒ jiù shì xǐhuan tā.I just like him.
• 他 就 想 出国。Tā jiù xiǎng chūguó.He just wants to go abroad.
• 我 问 过 很 多 次， 他 就是 不 说。 Wǒ wèn guo hěn duō cì. Tā jiùshì bù shuō.I asked him many times. He just wouldn't tell.
• 很多 年轻人 就 喜欢 打 游戏。Hěn duō niánqīng rén jiù xǐhuan dǎ yóuxì.A lot of young people just like to play video games.
• 她 就不 听 我 的 话 。Tā jiù bù tīng wǒ de huà.She just wouldn't listen to me.
• 谁 都 知道 抽烟 对 身体 不好，可 很 多 人 就是 不 戒烟。Shéi dōu zhīdào chōuyān duì shēntǐ bù hǎo, kě hěn duō rén jiùshì bù 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