Emphasis with "jiushi"

Chinese-grammar-wiki-jiu.jpg

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.

就(是)+ Verb

Examples

  • 要 去!jiù yào qù! I just want to go!
  • 不 说,他 能 怎么样?jiù bù shuō, tā néng zěnmeyàng? I just can't say, what can he do?
  • 是 不 听 我 的 话 。jiù shì bù tīng wǒ de huà.She just wouldn't listen to me.
  • 那个 女孩 没有 什么 特别 的,可 我弟弟是 喜欢 她。 Nàge nǚhái méiyǒu shénme tèbié de, kě wǒ dìdi jiù shì xǐhuan tā. That girl has got nothing special but my younger brother just likes her.
  • 谁 都 知道 抽烟 对 身体 不好,可 很 多 人 是 不 戒烟。 Shéi dōu zhīdào chōuyān duì shēntǐ bù hǎo, kě hěn duō rén jiù shì bù jièyān. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your body but a lot of people just don't quit smoking.

See also


Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries