Expressing "just now" with "gangcai"
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Level
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Similar to
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Used for
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Keywords
In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the time noun 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement.
Structure
This grammar structure is pretty straightforward. Similar to the English "just now," you can put 刚才 (gāngcái) right before the verb in a sentence. It can also come before the subject or after the subject.
刚才 + Verb
Examples
- 你 刚才 说 什么 了 ？ What did you just say?
- 你们 刚才 做 什么 了 ？ What did you guys just do?
- 他 刚才 喝 了 一 瓶 可乐 。 He just drank a bottle of Coke.
- 不好意思 ， 我 刚才 出去 了 。 I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.
- 宝宝 刚才 笑 了 。 The baby just now laughed.
- 刚才 你 去 哪儿 了 ？ Just now where did you go?
- 刚才 我 吃 了 一个 冰淇淋 。 Just now I ate an ice cream.
- 刚才 我 去 洗手间 了 。 Just now I went to the washroom.
- 刚才 我 开会 了 。 I have a meeting just now.
- 刚才 一 个 女孩儿 来 这里 找 你 了 。 Just now a girl came here looking for you.
See also
- Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"
- Explaining results with "suoyi"
- Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi"
- Stating the effect before the cause (advanced article)
Sources and further reading
Books
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 217)→buy
