Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 就
就 (jiù) is a commonly used adverb in Chinese which has a ton of different uses. Do you know what 就 means and how to use it?
Don’t worry, in this article, we will take a look at all the meanings and grammatical functions of the word particle 就.
EXPRESSING “THEN” WITH 就
The meaning of 就 is equivalent to “then” in English, which shows the immediacy of one action after another. This is the first and simplest usage of 就.
PATTERN
…, 就 + Verb Phrase
Note there usually is a second action follow the first one for you to use “就”.
看完电影我就睡觉了。
I fell asleep after watching the movie.我们爬完山就去休息。
We went to rest after climbing the mountain.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 今天天气不好，我就不出去了。 | jīn tiān tiān qì bú hǎo，wǒ jiù bú chū qù le | The weather is bad today, so I won’t go out. |
| 我收拾好行李，就给你打电话了。 | wǒ shōu shí hǎo háng lǐ，jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diàn huà le | I packed my bags and then called you. |
| 吃完饭我就去写作业了。 | chī wán fàn wǒ jiù qù xiě zuò yè le | After dinner, I went to do my homework. |
| 你喜欢吃中餐，我们就在这家中餐厅吃饭吧。 | nǐ xǐ huān chī zhōng cān，wǒ men jiù zài zhè jiā zhōng cān tīng chī fàn ba | You like Chinese food, let’s eat at this Chinese restaurant. |
| 你最有经验，就听你的吧。 | nǐ zuì yǒu jīng yàn，jiù tīng nǐ de ba | You are the most experienced, so we all listen to you. |
EXPRESSING EARLINESS WITH 就
Opposite from the word “才 (cái),” 就 (jiù) can be used to indicate that something happened earlier than expected.
Used as “Right Away” (in the Future)
When something happens “right away,” you’re talking about “very soon” in the future.
PATTERN
Subject + Time + 就 + Verb
早餐马上就好了。
Breakfast will be ready soon.老板明天就回来。
The boss will be back tomorrow.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 稍等一下，我一会儿就到。 | shāo děng yī xià，wǒ yī huì ér jiù dào | Hold on a minute, I’ll be there in a minute. |
| 我们现在就出发吗？ | wǒ men xiàn zài jiù chū fā ma | Are we leaving now? |
| 还有5分钟会议就开始了。 | hái yǒu 5fèn zhōng huì yì jiù kāi shǐ le | The meeting starts in 5 minutes. |
Used as “Early” (in the Past)
This use of 就 might be translated “as early as,” but sometimes is not specifically marked in English translation.
PATTERN
Subject + [Point in Time/Time Period] + 就 + Verb + 了
飞机十点起飞，他六点就到机场了。
The plane takes off at ten o’clock, but he arrived at the airport at six.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 我昨晚八点就睡觉了。 | wǒ zuó wǎn bā diǎn jiù shuì jiào le | I went to bed at eight last night. |
| 他早上六点就到办公室了。 | tā zǎo shàng liù diǎn jiù dào bàn gōng shì le | He was at the office at six in the morning. |
| 他一个晚上就看完了这本书。 | tā yī gè wǎn shàng jiù kàn wán le zhè běn shū | It only took him one night to finish reading this book. |
EXPRESSING “SMALL QUANTITY” WITH 就
“就” can also be used as an informal way to say “only” or “just,” emphasizing the “smallness” of the noun that comes after it.
This usage is similar to how we say in English “just one person” or “just one left.”
And it is often paired with 一个 or similar in order to emphasize the small quantity. There are two structures under this usage:
就 is used before the subject
PATTERN
就 + Subject + Predicate
In this case, the predicate part of the pattern should be a verb or an adjective.
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 这件事就我知道。 | zhè jiàn shì jiù wǒ zhī dào | I’m the only person that knows about this. |
| 大家都走了，就老板还没走。 | dà jiā dōu zǒu le，jiù lǎo bǎn hái méi zǒu | Everyone’s gone, only the boss hasn’t left yet. |
| 这件事发生很久了，就他还记得。 | zhè jiàn shì fā shēng hěn jiǔ le，jiù tā hái jì dé | It’s been a long time since it happened. Only he still remembers it. |
就 is Used Before the Predicate
PATTERN
Subject + 就 + [Verb Phrase]
我就两个朋友。
I just have two friends.你今天就吃了一顿饭？
Did you only eat one meal today?View More Phrases
| Chinese | pinyin | english |
|---|---|---|
| 这里太远了，我就去过一次。 | zhè lǐ tài yuǎn le，wǒ jiù qù guò yī cì | It’s too far here, I’ve only been there once. |
| 关于这件事，我就知道一点点。 | guān yú zhè jiàn shì，wǒ jiù zhī dào yī diǎn diǎn | I only know a little bit about what happened. |
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FAQs
What is the meaning of 就?
The meaning of 就 (jiù) is equivalent to “then” in English, which shows the immediacy of one action after another. It can also mean earliness and “just” to indicate a small quantity.
What is the most common 就 structure?
The simplest and most common usage of 就 (jiù) is to mean “then.” The sentence structure under this case is:
…, 就 + Verb Phrase
How many meanings does 就 have?
Many! You’ll notice that 就 (jiù) is a word as versatile as it is common, so it can take plenty of different meanings depending on the context. Here are just a few:
—就要(jiù yào) – will, shall, be going to
—就算 (jiù suàn) – even if
—就诊 (jiù zhěn) – To see a doctor for medical advice
What are some example sentences for 就?
– 看完电影我就睡觉了。kàn wán diàn yǐng wǒ jiù shuì jiào le. I fell asleep after watching the movie.
– 稍等一下，我一会儿就到。shāo děng yī xià ，wǒ yī huì ér jiù dào. Hold on a minute, I’ll be there in a minute.
– 飞机十点起飞，他六点就到机场了 。fēi jī shí diǎn qǐ fēi ，tā liù diǎn jiù dào jī chǎng le. The plane takes off at ten o’clock, but he arrived at the airport at six.
– 这件事就我知道。zhè jiàn shì jiù wǒ zhī dào. I’m the only person that knows about this.
– 我就两个朋友。wǒ jiù liǎng gè péng yǒuI just have two friends.
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