How to use 才；就
Time + 才 / 就 + predicate; 才 + time / quantity
才 and 就 often reveal how an event compares with the speaker's expectations. With a time phrase before the verb, 才 can suggest delay or a demanding prerequisite, while 就 can suggest an early or quick result. The same objective time can therefore receive different interpretations depending on what the speaker considers normal or sufficient.
Their scope matters. 才 before a clock time can mean it is only that time, emphasizing earliness rather than lateness. Both words can also restrict a quantity, with context shaping the tone. In a combined 才…就 sentence, one event has only just happened when another follows. Read what each adverb modifies instead of assigning one permanent opposite meaning to each word.
Examples with pinyin and English
我等了两个小时才买到票。
I waited two hours before I could buy the ticket.
老板十一点才到办公室。
The boss didn't come to the office until 11 o'clock.
她十九岁就结婚了。
She got married when she was only 19.
你妹妹十五岁就上大学了？
Your younger sister started college when she was only fifteen?
What to remember
- Identify whether the adverb modifies time, action, or quantity.
- Use context to interpret expectations.
- Recognize 才…就 for a quick follow-up to a recent event.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
Practise this grammar topic ↗Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.