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Adverbs / 副词
才vs就
cái · jiù
late/only vs early/already — the hardest HSK 4 adverb pair
| 才 | 就 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time feel | Later than expected / too slow | Earlier than expected / fast |
| Quantity | Only (少): 才三个人 | Already (多): 就三个人 |
| Condition | Only if / not until: 你来了我才走 | As soon as: 你一来我就走 |
| Tone | Implies difficulty or reluctance | Implies ease or quickness |
才
他九点才来，迟到了半个小时。
Tā jiǔ diǎn cái lái, chídào le bàn ge xiǎoshí.
He didn't come until 9 — half an hour late. (later than expected)
就
他八点就来了，比谁都早。
Tā bā diǎn jiù lái le, bǐ shéi dōu zǎo.
He came as early as 8 — earlier than anyone. (earlier than expected)
才 always implies 'later/less than expected' and often carries a negative tone. 就 implies 'sooner/more than expected' and sounds positive or neutral. This distinction is tested constantly in HSK 4 fill-in-the-blank.
Quick check
电影七点开始，他七点半___到。
Quick check
我们约的九点，她八点___来了。
Quick check
这本书___三十块钱，很便宜。