Difference between revisions of "Expressing "just now" with "gangcai""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
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.  
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In order to say that something "just now" occurred, use the [[Time noun|time noun]] 刚才 (gāngcái). It can be placed in front of the verb or the subject of a statement.  
  
=== Structure ===
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== 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.
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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 or after the subject.
  
 
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<div class="jiegou">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
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<div class="liju">
  
* 你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shuō</strong> shénme le? </span> <span class="trans">What did you just say? </span>
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* 你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shuō</strong> shénme le? </span><span class="trans">What did you just say? </span>
* <em>刚才</em> 谁 <strong> 来 </strong> 了?<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> shéi <strong>  lái </strong>le? </span> <span class="trans">Just now who came? </span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 谁 <strong> 来 </strong> 了?<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> shéi <strong>  lái </strong>le? </span><span class="trans">Who came just now? </span>
* <em>刚才</em> 你 <strong>去</strong> 哪儿 了?<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> nǐ <strong>qù</strong> nǎr le? </span> <span class="trans">Just now where did you go? </span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 你 <strong>去</strong> 哪儿 了?<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> nǐ <strong>qù</strong> nǎr le? </span><span class="trans">Where did you go just now? </span>
* <em>刚才</em> 我 <strong>去</strong> 洗手间 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> wǒ <strong>qù</strong> xǐshǒujiān le. </span> <span class="trans">Just now I went to the washroom. </span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 我 <strong>去</strong> 洗手间 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> wǒ <strong>qù</strong> xǐshǒujiān le.</span><span class="trans">I just went to the restroom.</span>
* 老板 <em>刚才</em> <strong>生气</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shēngqì</strong> le. </span> <span class="trans">The boss just got angry. </span>
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* 老板 <em>刚才</em> <strong>生气</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>shēngqì</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">The boss just got angry.</span>
* 你们 <em>刚才</em> 在 <strong>看</strong> 什么?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>gāngcái</em> zài <strong>kàn</strong> shénme? </span> <span class="trans">What were you looking at? </span>
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* 你们 <em>刚才</em> 在 <strong>看</strong> 什么?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>gāngcái</em> zài <strong>kàn</strong> shénme? </span><span class="trans">What were you looking at just now? </span>
* 不好意思,我 <em>刚才</em> <strong>出去</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>chūqù</strong> le. </span> <span class="trans">I'm sorry, I just now stepped out. </span>
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* 不好意思,我 <em>刚才</em> <strong>出去</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>chūqù</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.</span>
* 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong>哭</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>kū</strong> le.</span> <span class="trans">The baby just now cried. </span>
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* 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong>哭</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Bǎobao <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>kū</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">The baby just cried.</span>
* 他们 <em>刚才</em> 去 <strong>开会</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāngcái</em> qù <strong>kāihuì</strong> le. </span> <span class="trans">They went to a meeting just now. </span>
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* 他们 <em>刚才</em> 去 <strong>开会</strong> 了。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāngcái</em> qù <strong>kāihuì</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">They just went to a meeting.</span>
* <em>刚才</em> 有 人 <strong>找</strong> 你。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> yǒurén <strong> zhǎo</strong>nǐ. </span> <span class="trans">Just now there was someone looking for you. </span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 有 人 <strong>找</strong> 你。<span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> yǒu rén <strong> zhǎo</strong> nǐ.</span><span class="trans">Just now, there was someone looking for you.</span>
  
 
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Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened ''just now'', as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use [[Expressing "just" with "gang"|刚 (gāng)]].
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[现代汉语八百词(增订本)]] (p. 217)[http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|现代汉语八百词(增订本)|217}}
 
 
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|刚才|A2|刚才 + Verb|你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了?|grammar point|ASGQ1KOY}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|刚才|A2|刚才 + Verb|你 <em>刚才</em> <strong>说</strong> 什么 了?|grammar point|ASGQ1KOY}}
 
{{Rel char|刚}}
 
{{Rel char|刚}}

Latest revision as of 10:00, 2 April 2019

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 or after the subject.

刚才 + Verb

Examples

  • 刚才 什么 了?gāngcái shuō shénme le? What did you just say?
  • 刚才 了?Gāngcái shéi lái le? Who came just now?
  • 刚才 哪儿 了?Gāngcái nǎr le? Where did you go just now?
  • 刚才 洗手间 了。Gāngcái xǐshǒujiān le.I just went to the restroom.
  • 老板 刚才 生气 了。Lǎobǎn gāngcái shēngqì le.The boss just got angry.
  • 你们 刚才 什么?Nǐmen gāngcái zài kàn shénme? What were you looking at just now?
  • 不好意思,我 刚才 出去 了。Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ gāngcái chūqù le.I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.
  • 宝宝 刚才 了。Bǎobao gāngcái le.The baby just cried.
  • 他们 刚才开会 了。Tāmen gāngcáikāihuì le.They just went to a meeting.
  • 刚才 有 人 你。Gāngcái yǒu rén zhǎo nǐ.Just now, there was someone looking for you.

Note that for all of those cases, we're talking about something that happened just now, as in, within the past 5 minutes or so. If you're talking about something that "just happened" yesterday or last week, don't use 刚才 (gāngcái), use 刚 (gāng).

See also

Sources and further reading

Books