Expressing "just" with "gang"

Sometimes things happen in a flash, or they happen a very short time before you talk about them. In English we use the word "just", and in Chinese we express "just" with 刚 (gāng).

Expressing "just" happened

Structure

刚 expresses that the action happened not long ago. It's used the same way as 刚刚.

Subject + 刚 + Verb

Examples

• 我 刚 知道。I just found out.
• 他 刚 工作。He just started working.
• 我 刚 买 了 很 多 水果。I just bought a lot of fruit.
• 他 刚 走。He just left.
• 我们 刚 下班。We just got off work.
• 宝宝 刚 起床。The baby just woke up.
• 老公 刚 回 家。The husband just came home.
• 我 刚 吃 完 饭。I just finished eating.
• 我 刚 做 完 今天 的 工作。I just finished today's work.
• 他 刚 来 我们 公司。He just came to our office.

Expressing "from then until now"

Structure

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

Subject + 刚 + VO + Duration

Examples

• 我 刚 到 这里 五 分钟。I just got here five minutes ago.
• 我 刚 来 中国 半 年。I just got to China six months ago.
• 我 刚 学 中文 两 个 星期。I just started studying Chinese two weeks ago.
• 他 刚 走 十 分钟。He just walked five minutes.
• 我们 刚 认识 一 个 月。We just knew each other for a month.
• 他 刚 工作 一 年。He just worked a year.
• 小心 点，这 个 电脑 刚 买 两 天。Be careful, I just bought that computer two days ago.
• 我 也 刚 知道 两 分钟。I just found out two minutes ago.
• 他 刚 出去。He just went out.
• 他 刚 去 美国 一 个 星期。He just went to America for one week.

Make sure you pay attention to "刚来一会儿." and "刚来没一会儿。". Both have the same meaning, expressing that the 来 happened a short while ago.

See also

• "Just now" with "gangcai"
• Comparing "gang" and "gangcai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 216)→buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 239) →buy
• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (p. 81) →buy