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

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* 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>
 
* 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>
 
* 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>
 
* 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>
* <em>刚才</em> <strong></strong> 了 一 瓶 可乐 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>gāngcái</em> <strong></strong> le yī píng kělè.</span> <span class="trans">He just drank a bottle of Coke.</span>
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* <em>刚才</em> <strong></strong> 哪儿 了? <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> <strong></strong> nǎr le?</span> <span class="trans">Just now where did you go?</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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* 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>
* 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong></strong> 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>xiào</strong> le.</span> <span class="trans">The baby just now laughed.</span>
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* 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>
* <em>刚才</em> <strong></strong> 哪儿 了 ? <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> <strong></strong> nǎr le?</span> <span class="trans">Just now where did you go?</span>
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* 宝宝 <em>刚才</em> <strong></strong> 了。 <span class="pinyin">Bǎobǎo <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>xiào</strong> le.</span> <span class="trans">The baby just now laughed.</span>
* <em>刚才</em> <strong> </strong> 了 一个 冰淇淋 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> <strong> chī</strong> le yī gè bīngqílín.</span> <span class="trans">Just now I ate an ice cream.</span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 那些人 一起 <strong> </strong> 了。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> nàxiē rén <strong> yīqǐ </strong> zǒu le.</span> <span class="trans">Just now those people left together.</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">Just now I went to the washroom.</span>
* <em>刚才</em> <strong>开会</strong> 了 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> <strong>kāihuì</strong> le.</span> <span class="trans">I have a meeting just now.</span>
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* 他们 <em>刚才</em> <strong>开会</strong> 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>gāngcái</em> <strong>kāihuì</strong> le.</span> <span class="trans">They went to a meeting just now.</span>
* <em>刚才</em> 一 个 女孩儿 <strong></strong> 这里 找 你 了 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Gāngcái</em> yī gè nǚháir <strong>lái</strong> zhèlǐ zhǎo le.</span> <span class="trans">Just now a girl came here looking for you.</span>
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* <em>刚才</em> 有 人 <strong></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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Revision as of 09:37, 25 September 2015

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 the subject or after the subject.

刚才 + Verb

Examples

  • 刚才 什么? gāngcái shuō shénme le? What did you just say?
  • 你们 刚才 什么? Nǐmen gāngcái zài kàn shénme? What were you looking at?
  • 刚才 哪儿 了? Gāngcái nǎr le? Just now where did you go?
  • 老板 刚才 生气 了。 Lǎobǎn gāngcái shēngqì le. The boss just got angry.
  • 不好意思,我 刚才 出去 了。 Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ gāngcái chūqù le. I'm sorry, I just now stepped out.
  • 宝宝 刚才 了。 Bǎobǎo gāngcái xiào le. The baby just now laughed.
  • 刚才 那些人 一起 了。 Gāngcái nàxiē rén yīqǐ zǒu le. Just now those people left together.
  • 刚才 洗手间 了。 Gāngcái xǐshǒujiān le. Just now I went to the washroom.
  • 他们 刚才开会 了 。 Tāmen gāngcáikāihuì le. They went to a meeting just now.
  • 刚才 有 人 你。 Gāngcáiyǒurén zhǎonǐ. Just now there was someone looking for you.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books