Difference between revisions of "Expressing "just" with "gang""

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* <em>刚</em> 知道 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>gāng</em> zhīdao.</span> <span class="trans">I just found out.</span>
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* 我们 <em>刚</em> 知道。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>gāng</em> zhīdao.</span> <span class="trans">We just found out.</span>
* 他 <em>刚</em> 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>gāng</em> gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">He just started working.</span>
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* 她们 <em>刚</em> 走。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāng</em> zǒu.</span> <span class="trans">They just left.</span>
* 她们 <em>刚</em> 走 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāng</em> zǒu.</span> <span class="trans">They just left.</span>
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* 我 <em>刚</em> 吃 完 饭。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gāng</em> chī wán fàn.</span> <span class="trans">I just finished eating.</span>
* 我 <em>刚</em> 吃 完 饭 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gāng</em> chī wán fàn.</span> <span class="trans">I just finished eating.</span>
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* 老板 <em>刚</em> 出去。 <span class="pinyin"> Lǎobǎn <em>gāng</em> chūqù.</span> <span class="trans">The boss just went out.</span>
* <em>刚</em> 出去 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>gāng</em> chūqù.</span> <span class="trans">He just went out.</span>
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* 妈妈 <em>刚</em> 到 家。 <span class="pinyin">Māma <em>gāng</em> dào jiā.</span> <span class="trans">Mom just got home.</span>
* <em>刚</em> 买 了 很 多 水果 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>gāng</em> mǎi le hěn duō shuǐguǒ.</span> <span class="trans">I just bought a lot of fruit.</span>
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* 我们 <em>刚</em> 下班 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>gāng</em> xiàbān.</span> <span class="trans">We just got off work.</span>
 
* 宝宝 <em>刚</em> 起床 。 <span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>gāng</em> qǐchuáng.</span> <span class="trans">The baby just woke up.</span>
 
* 老公 <em>刚</em> 回 家 。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎogōng <em>gāng</em> huí jiā.</span> <span class="trans">The husband just came home.</span>
 
* 我 <em>刚</em> 做 完 今天 的 工作 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>gāng</em> zuò wán jīntiān de gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">I just finished today's work.</span>
 
* 他 <em>刚</em> 来 我们 公司 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>gāng</em> lái wǒmen gōngsī.</span> <span class="trans">He just came to our office.</span>
 
 
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Revision as of 06:24, 22 September 2015

When something recently happened, or in the immediate past, in English we use the word "just." For example, if you pass a turn you were supposed to make, you might say, "Ugh, I was just there!" or "I just passed it!" In Chinese, "just" can be expressed with 刚 (gāng) or 刚刚 (gānggāng).

Expressing "just" happened

Structure

刚 (gāng) expresses an action that happened not long ago. 刚刚 (gānggāng) is used the same way, with the same meaning.

Subj. + 刚 + Verb

or

Subj. + 刚刚 + Verb

Examples

  • 我们 知道。 Wǒmen gāng zhīdao. We just found out.
  • 她们 走。Tāmen gāng zǒu. They just left.
  • 吃 完 饭。gāng chī wán fàn. I just finished eating.
  • 老板 出去。 Lǎobǎn gāng chūqù. The boss just went out.
  • 妈妈 到 家。 Māma gāng dào jiā. Mom just got home.

"Just" happened, with a specific time period

Structure

刚 (gāng) can also express "from the time an action happens until the present time".

Subj. + 刚 + VO + Duration

Note that although we need to say "ago" in English, in this pattern there's no need for a word that means "ago."

Examples

  • 到 这里 五 分钟gāng dào zhèlǐ wǔ fēnzhōng. I just got here five minutes ago.
  • 来 中国 半 年gāng lái Zhōngguó bàn nián. I just got to China six months ago.
  • 学 中文 两 个 星期gāng xué Zhōngwén liǎng gè xīngqī. I just started studying Chinese two weeks ago.
  • 十 分钟gāng zǒu shí fēnzhōng. He just left ten minutes ago.
  • 我们 认识 一 个 月Wǒmen gāng rènshi yī gè yuè. We just met each other a month ago.
  • 小心 点 , 这 个 电脑 两 天Xiǎoxīn diǎn, zhè ge diànnǎo gāng mǎi liǎng tiān. Be careful, I just bought that computer two days ago.
  • 我 也 知道 两 分钟Wǒ yě gāng zhīdao liǎng fēnzhōng. I just found out two minutes ago.
  • 去 美国 一 个 星期gāng qù Měiguó yī gè xīngqī. He just went to the U.S. a week ago.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books