Q: What is 才?

才 (cái) is a prevalent word in Chinese speech. 才 means “just” but in the sense that something happened later than you expected.

Q: Where to find some A2 grammar lessons?

Have a look into our Chinese Grammar Bank , we have plenty of A2 grammar lessons you can study for free. We even have more beginner lessons in the A1 category , if you ever need to brush up on some earlier lessons.

Q: Can I study abroad with LTL?

Yes! We offer Chinese courses in 8 destinations across mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan. Have a look at all of our language courses here .

Question 1

What is 才?

Accepted Answer

才 (cái) is a prevalent word in Chinese speech.

才 means “just” but in the sense that something happened later than you expected.

Question 2

How to use 才?

Accepted Answer

We often use 才 before the verb to indicate the lateness in sentences.

Here is the proper sentence structure:

Subject + Time + 才 + Verb

Question 3

Some examples with 才?

Accepted Answer

我昨天才看到你的邮件。| I just saw your email yesterday.

我十点钟才起床。| I didn’t get up until ten o’clock.

我们上周才刚搬完家。| We just finished moving last week.

Question 4

What’s the difference between 才 and 就?

Accepted Answer

In English, 才 (cái) might be expressed with “as late as” or “not until.”

We often use the 才 (cái) pattern with a time of some sort, like a specific time of day, age, etc.

Moreover, this pattern is essentially the opposite of using 就 (jiù) to express earliness.

就 means something happened earlier than expected. Remember to distinguish these two words so you won’t mix them up.

Question 5

Where to find some A2 grammar lessons?

Accepted Answer

Have a look into our Chinese Grammar Bank, we have plenty of A2 grammar lessons you can study for free.

We even have more beginner lessons in the A1 category, if you ever need to brush up on some earlier lessons.

Question 6

Can I study abroad with LTL?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We offer Chinese courses in 8 destinations across mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan.

Have a look at all of our language courses here.

Grammar Point	Pattern	Example
How to use 才	Subject + Time + 才 + Verb	她今天才开始复习明早的考试。
How to use 死了	Adjective / Verb + 死了	我要笑死了！
How to use 差不多	差不多 + Adjective/Verb	他们差不多高。
How to use 一直	Subject + 一直 + Predicate	我一直很喜欢你。
How to use 快…了	Subject + 快 + Verb + 了	飞机快起飞了。
How to use 因为 and 所以	因为 + Cause，所以 + Result	因为时间太晚了，所以我们明天再出发。
How to use 从…到…	Subject + 从 + Time 1 + 到 + Time 2	从2004年到2008年，我都在上海工作。
How to use 比	Noun A + 比 + Noun B + Adjective	今天比昨天冷。
Big numbers in Chinese
Reduplication of verbs in Chinese	Subject + Verb + Verb	尝尝我做的菜！
How to use 几	几 + Measure Word	她几岁？
How to use 就	…, 就 + Verb Phrase	看完电影我就睡觉了。

HSK 2