才 vs 就: what is the difference?
就 shows that something happened early or quickly, and 才 shows that it was late or hard won. 他六点就到了 means he arrived as early as six, and 他八点才到 means he did not arrive until eight.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 才 | cái | Means only then or not until, showing something was late or needed a condition first. | time / condition + 才 + verb |
| 就 | jiù | Shows that something happened early or quickly, sooner than expected. | Time + 就 + Verb (+ 了) |
才 (cái)
Means only then or not until, showing something was late or needed a condition first.
Structure: time / condition + 才 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我等了一个小时，他才来。 | Wǒ děng le yí gè xiǎo shí, tā cái lái. | I waited an hour before he came. |
| 他十二点才睡觉，所以早上起不来。 | Tā shí èr diǎn cái shuì jiào, suǒ yǐ zǎo shàng qǐ bù lái. | He goes to bed only at twelve, so he cannot get up in the morning. |
| 这个问题我想了很久才明白。 | Zhè gè wèn tí wǒ xiǎng le hěn jiǔ cái míng bái. | It took me a long time to understand this question. |
Not: 我才六点起床，起得真早。 才 shows late; early is 就: 我六点就起床了.
就 (jiù)
Shows that something happened early or quickly, sooner than expected.
Structure: Time + 就 + Verb (+ 了)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我昨天十点就睡了。 | Wǒ zuó tiān shí diǎn jiù shuì le. | I was already asleep at ten yesterday. |
| 这本书我一天就看完了。 | Zhè běn shū wǒ yì tiān jiù kàn wán le. | I finished this book in just one day. |
| 他十岁就会弹钢琴了。 | Tā shí suì jiù huì tán gāng qín le. | He could play the piano by the age of ten. |
Not: 他十岁才会弹钢琴，真厉害！ If you mean he was early, use 就: 他十岁就会弹钢琴，真厉害！ 才 would mean he was late.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Time Adverbs: 本来, 才, 曾经, 从来, 立刻 (HSK 3) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 朝 vs 向 · 从 vs 自从 · 大概 vs 恐怕 · 得很 vs 极了 · 光 vs 只 · 互相 vs 相互 · 叫 vs 让 · 每 vs 各 · 听不懂 vs 没听懂 · 需要 vs 要 · 因为 vs 为了 · 只有…才 vs 只要…就 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 才 and 就?
就 shows that something happened early or quickly, and 才 shows that it was late or hard won. 他六点就到了 means he arrived as early as six, and 他八点才到 means he did not arrive until eight.
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