How to use 一…就…
Subj. + 一 + Event 1，就 + Event 2
一…就… links a triggering event with an action or result that follows promptly. Put 一 before the trigger and 就 before what happens next. The construction can describe a past sequence, a plan for immediate action, or a regular reaction. It highlights how closely the two events are connected, rather than simply listing them chronologically.
Both parts may share a subject, in which case repetition is usually unnecessary. If different people perform the actions, state the subject of each clause clearly. In a habitual statement, the same structure can mean whenever the trigger occurs, the result follows. Other words in the sentence determine time reference; 一 and 就 do not independently mark tense.
Examples with pinyin and English
饿死了，我一下课就要去吃午饭。
I'm starving. I'm going to have lunch as soon as class is over.
你能不能一下班就去接孩子？
Can you go to pick up our kid as soon as you get off work?
妈妈一到家就去做饭了。
As soon as mom arrived home, she went off to cook.
老师一来大家就不说话了。
As soon as the teacher came, everyone stopped talking.
What to remember
- 一 introduces the trigger.
- 就 introduces the prompt result.
- The pattern can describe a recurring reaction.
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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.
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