Expressing "only after" with "cai"

Revision as of 03:19, 18 November 2019 by WikiSysop (talk | contribs) (→‎Examples)
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

  • 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