Difference between revisions of "Expressing "only after" with "cai""

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*她 做 完 了 功课 <em>才</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">Not until</span> she finished her homework did she go to sleep.
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*她 做 完 了 功课 <em>才</em> 睡觉。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">Not until she finished her homework did she go to sleep.</span>
 
*他 锁 上 了 门 <em>才</em> 想起来 没有 带 钥匙。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">He didn't realize he had forgotten to bring his key until after he had locked the door.</span>
 
*他 锁 上 了 门 <em>才</em> 想起来 没有 带 钥匙。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">He didn't realize he had forgotten to bring his key until after he had locked the door.</span>
 
*我 把 牛奶 喝 完 了, <em>才</em> 发现 牛奶 过期 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">I finished off the milk, and only then did I discover that it was expired.</span>
 
*我 把 牛奶 喝 完 了, <em>才</em> 发现 牛奶 过期 了。<span class="pinyin"><em>cái</em> .</span><span class="trans">I finished off the milk, and only then did I discover that it was expired.</span>

Revision as of 03:21, 18 November 2019

Chinese-grammar-wiki-Cai.jpg

These patterns using 才 are loosely related, and revolve around a meaning of "only when," "only after," "only then," or "not until." They suggest a condition without stating the condition as explicitly as in the pattern 只有……才…….

才 as "Only When" or "Only After"

Structure

⋯⋯,才⋯⋯

⋯⋯ ,才 ⋯⋯

Examples

  • 我 花 了 八 千 块 买 齐 了 骑行 的 东西。cái .only then
  • 小明 花 了 很多 心思 设计 出 了 这 张 海报。cái .only then
  • 他 用 了 很多 年 原谅 了 他的 妈妈。cái .only then
  • 那 本 书 我 看 了 两 遍 看 懂。cái .only then
  • 我 去 了 三 次 北京 见 到 了 吴亦凡。cái .only then
  • 他 找 了 好 几 个 月 找到合适的房子。cái .only then

才 as "Not Until"

This use of 才 is quite similar to the 才 used to express lateness. The two sort of blend together.

Structure

⋯⋯,才⋯⋯

⋯⋯ ,才 ⋯⋯

Examples

Note that rather than following a set pattern, the English translation sentences below make use of a number of different translations. "Not until," "didn't... until," "only then," and "only after" may all be appropriate, depending on the context of the original Chinese.

  • 她 做 完 了 功课 睡觉。cái .Not until she finished her homework did she go to sleep.
  • 他 锁 上 了 门 想起来 没有 带 钥匙。cái .He didn't realize he had forgotten to bring his key until after he had locked the door.
  • 我 把 牛奶 喝 完 了, 发现 牛奶 过期 了。cái .I finished off the milk, and only then did I discover that it was expired.
  • 等 妈妈 打 来 了 电话,宝宝 不 哭 了。cái .Only after her mom called did the baby stop crying.

Sources and further reading

Books