Student Log-In

Forgot password?                Login
Student Sign-Up
First Name Last Name
Email (We do not share your email)
Password (6 characters or more)
Please type:
Create My Account
Company code (Corporate Users Only)
I accept the Terms of Service.
Teacher 登入
老师 TEACHER

Join the best

native Chinese teachers applied. Only were selected for this rewarding teaching experience. Take the challenge today!

Home > Resources > “才”和“就”的使用("cái" hé "jiù" de shǐyòng)

“才”和“就”的使用("cái" hé "jiù" de shǐyòng), by Moon

A. Grammar Points 文法解析/文法解析 (wénfǎ jiě xī)

  • "才”和“就”的含义区别
  • "才”和“就”的含義區別
  • cái hé jiù de hányì qūbié
  • The differences of"才"and “就”.
First meaning of “才”
  • “才”的第一个含义
  • “才”的第一個含義
  • cái de dìyī gè hányì
  • The first meaning of “才”
是/是/shì/is
  • 刚刚, 前不久
  • 剛剛, 前不久
  • gānggāng,qián bùjiǔ
  • just recently, just a moment ago
Example
  • 他才来。
  • 他才來。
  • tā cái lái
  • He has just arrived.
First meaning of “就”
  • “就”的第一个含义
  • “就”的第一個含義
  • jiù de dìyī gè hányì
  • The first meaning of"就"
是/是/shì/is
  • 立刻
  • 立刻
  • lìkè
  • Just a moment
Example:
  • 我完成工作就来。
  • 我完成工作就來。
  • wǒ wánchéng gōngzuò jiù lái
  • I'll come the moment I've finished my work.
Second meaning of “才”
  • "才"的第二个含义
  • "才"的第二個含義
  • cái de dì èr gè hányì
  • The second meaning of “才”
是/是/shì/is
  • 一件事发生或结束的晚。
  • 一件事發生或結束的晚。
  • yī jiàn shì fāshēng huò jiéshù de wǎn
  • A thing that happened later.
Example:
  • 雨下了一天,晚上才停。
  • 雨下了一天,晚上才停。
  • yǔ xià le yītiān wǎnshàng cái tíng
  • It was raining and just cleared up in the night.
Second meaning of “就”
  • “就”的第二个含义
  • “就”的第二個含義
  • jiù de dì èr gè hányì
  • The second meaning of"就"
是/是/shì/is
  • 一件事发生得早。
  • 一件事發生得早。
  • yī jiàn shì fāshēng de zǎo
  • A thing that happened earlier.
Example:
  • 我很早就来了, 把信放在你的门口了。
  • 我很早就來了, 把信放在你的門口了。
  • wǒ hěn zǎo jiù lái le bǎ xìn fàng zài nǐde ménkǒu le
  • I've come very early, and put the mail at your door.
Third meaning of “才”
  • "才"的第三个含义
  • "才"的第三個含義
  • cái de dì sān gè hányì
  • The third meaning of"才"
是/是/shì/is
  • 只有, 仅仅
  • 只有, 僅僅
  • zhǐyǒu,jǐnjǐn
  • only, just
Example:
  • 加上你,这个班里才3个人。
  • 加上你,這個班裡才3個人。
  • zhègè bān lǐ jiāshàng nǐ cái sān gèrén
  • Including you, we have 3 people in this class.
Third meaning of “就”
  • “就”的第三个含义
  • “就”的第三個含義
  • jiù de dì sān gè hányì
  • The third meaning of"就"
是/是/shì/is
  • 只有
  • 只有
  • zhǐyǒu
  • only
Example:
  • 我就把这件事告诉你了。 (这件事就你知道)
  • 我就把這件事告訴你了。 (這件事就你知道)
  • wǒ jiù bǎ zhè jiàn shì gàosu nǐ le (zhè jiàn shì jiù nǐ zhīdào)
  • I just told you this. (It is only you that know this.)

B. Conclusion for"才"

  • "才"一共有6种含义:
  • "才"一共有6種含義:
  • cái yīgòng yǒu liù zhǒng hányì:
  • “才” has 6 different meanings:
1) 才能/才能 (cáinéng): talent,ability
  • 你很有才华。
  • 你很有才華。
  • nǐ hěn yǒu cái huá
  • You are talented.
2) 一类人/一類人 (yī lèi rén): a type of human

For example: 通才/通才 (tōngcái):generalist
  • 他可以称得上是一个通才。
  • 他可以稱得上是一個通才。
  • tā kěyǐ chēng de shàng shì yī gè tōngcái
  • He is so called a generalist.
3) 刚刚/剛剛 (gānggāng),前不久/前不久 (qián bùjiǔ): just recently, just a moment ago
  • 他才来。
  • 他才來
  • tā cái lái
  • He has just arrived.
4) 一件事发生或结束的晚。 / 一件事發生或結束的晚。 (yī jiàn shì fāshēng huò jiéshù de wǎn): A thing that happened later.
  • 雨下了一天,晚上才停。
  • 雨下了一天,晚上才停。
  • yǔ xià le yītiān wǎnshàng cái tíng
  • It was raining and just cleared up in the night.
5) 只有/只有 (zhǐyǒu), 仅仅/僅僅 (jǐnjǐn): only, just
  • 加上你,这个班里才3个人。
  • 加上你,這個班裡才3個人。
  • zhègè bān lǐ jiāshàng nǐ cái sān gèrén
  • Including you, we are 3 people in this class.
6)只有...才... / 只有...才... (zhǐyǒu... cái...)
  • 只有北极,才有北极熊。
  • 只有北極,才有北極熊。
  • zhǐyǒu Běijí cái yǒu Běijí xióng
  • It is just in the north pole that has polar bears.
and
  • 只有冬天,才下雪。
  • 只有冬天,才下雪。
  • zhǐyǒu dōngtiān cái xiàxuě
  • It is only during the winter that you have snow.

C. Conclusion for"就"

  • “就”一共有6种含义
  • “就”一共有6種含義
  • jiù yīgòng yǒu liù zhǒng hányì
  • "就"has 6 different meanings.
1)到/到 (dào),开始从事/開始從事 (kāishǐ cóngshì): to start

For example: 就职典礼/就職典禮 (jiùzhídiǎnlǐ): inauguration
  • 你明天要参加就职典礼吗?
  • 你明天要參加就職典禮嗎?
  • nǐ míngtiān yào cānjiā jiùzhí diǎnlǐ ma?
  • Will you attend the inauguration tomorrow?
2) 依照/依照 (yīzhào): according to

For example: 就此/就此 (jiùcǐ): according to this
  • 就此说明, 把这件礼物送给她是个好主意。
  • 就此說明, 把這件禮物送給她是個好主意。
  • jiùcǐ shuōmíng bǎ zhè jiàn lǐwù sònggěi tā shì gè hǎo zhǔyì
  • According to this, it is a good idea that send her this present.
3) 立刻/立刻 (lìkè): just a moment
  • 我把工作完成了就来。
  • 我把工作完成了就來。
  • wǒ bǎ gōngzuò wánchéng le jiù lái
  • I'll come the moment I've finished my work.
4) 一件事发生得早。 / 一件事發生得早。 (yī jiàn shì fāshēng de zǎo): A thing that happened earlier.
  • 我很早就来了,把一杯Starbucks带来了。
  • 我很早就來了,把一杯Starbucks帶來了。
  • wǒ hěn zǎo jiù lái le bǎ yī bēi Starbucks dàilái le
  • I've arrived very early and took a cup of Starbucks.
5) 只有/只有 (zhǐyǒu): only
  • 刚才的交通事故就你看见了,你就叙述一下吧。
  • 剛才的交通事故就你看見了,你就敘述一下吧。
  • gāngcái de jiāotōng shìgù jiù nǐ kànjiàn le nǐ jiù xùshù yīxià ba
  • It is only you that saw the traffic accident, so you can narrate it.
6) 加强语气 / 加強語氣 (jiāqiáng yǔqì): to emphasize
  • 我把会议的时间地点好几次发到了他的邮箱里,我就不相信他会不来。
  • 我把會議的時間地點好幾次發到了他的郵箱裡,我就不相信他會不來。
  • wǒ bǎ huìyì de shíjiān dìdiǎn hǎo jǐ cì fā dào le tāde yóuxiāng lǐ wǒ jiù bù xiāngxìn tā huì bù lái
  • I sent the time and place of this meeting to his email, I can't believe he did not come.
Moon from ChineseTeachers.com