Comparing "cai" and "jiu"

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Both 才 (cái) and 就 (jiù) are adverbs that have to do with expressing time, and they are both placed in front of the verb. However, they both have a different tone and feel, and they express different lengths of time.


Expressing lateness with "cai"

才 expresses that the speaker thinks that the time that passed since the action takes place was a long time. Sometimes it expresses anxiety, impatience, anger etc.

Structure

才 + Verb

Examples

  • 我 等 了 两 个 小时 买 到 票。 I had waited two hours before I bought the ticket.
  • 老板 十一 点 到 办公室。The boss didn't come to the office until 11 o'clock.
  • 他 吃了 三 碗 饭 吃饱。He had had three bowls of rice before he was full.

Expressing small quantity with "cai"

Structure

才+MW+Noun

  • 我 等 了 两 个 小时 买 到 票。 I had waited two hours before I bought the ticket.

就 expresses that the speaker thinks that the time since the action happened is short, and it has a surprise, unexpectedness, or even sometimes regret.


Structure

就 + Verb + 了

Examples

  • 你们 这么 早 下班 了?Why are you guys leaving work so early?
  • 我的妹妹 十五岁 上大学 了My younger sister went to college when she was only fifteen.
  • 他 五岁 和父母 去美国 了。He went to America with his parents when he was only five.

就 is used to express earliness

就 indicates that something has occurred earlier than expected

Structure

Subj. + Time + 就 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 他 下午 四 点 半 吃 晚饭 了。He ate dinner at four in the afternoon.
  • 她 十九 岁 结婚 了。She got married when she was 19.

Example dialog

  • A: 你 怎么 来?Why didn't you arrive until now?
  • B: 我 八点 出门 了,路 上 堵车 我 也 没 办法。I left at eight, but there was a traffic jam. I couldn't help it.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books