Tight Compound: 一…就… (As soon as … then …)
The tight compound 一…就… (yī…jiù…) links two actions that happen in immediate succession, meaning 'as soon as…then…'. Each half is short, and 就 comes right before the second verb.
Both verb phrases usually share the same subject. 就 signals that the second action follows immediately, almost automatically.
- 我一到家就吃饭。(As soon as I get home, I eat.)
- 他一累就想睡觉。(As soon as he's tired, he wants to sleep.)
❌ 我一到家，我吃饭。(missing 就 — the clauses don't feel connected)
✅ 我一到家就吃饭。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我一起床就去洗手。 | Wǒ yī qǐ chuáng jiù qù xǐ shǒu. | As soon as I get up, I go wash my hands. | Minimal 一…就 frame with two simple daily actions. |
| 他一下课就给妈妈打电话。 | Tā yī xià kè jiù gěi māma dǎ diàn huà. | As soon as class ends, he calls his mom. | Adds 给…打电话 (call someone) as the second action. |
| 妹妹一看到狗就笑了。 | Mèi mei yī kàn dào gǒu jiù xiào le. | As soon as younger sister saw the dog, she laughed. | Adds 了 (completed aspect) marking the second action as having occurred. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
一…就 (yī…jiù)
Says the second thing follows the first at once.
Structure: 一 + A, 就 + B
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他一回家就打开电视。 | Tā yì huí jiā jiù dǎ kāi diàn shì. | As soon as he gets home he turns on the television. |
| 我一喝咖啡就睡不着。 | Wǒ yì hē kā fēi jiù shuì bu zháo. | Whenever I drink coffee I cannot sleep. |
| 老师一进教室，学生们就安静了。 | Lǎo shī yí jìn jiào shì, xué sheng men jiù ān jìng le. | As soon as the teacher came in, the students went quiet. |
Not: 我一到北京，我给你打电话。 The second half needs 就: 我一到北京就给你打电话.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Tight Compound among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Tight Compound
What does 紧缩复句 (Tight Compound) mean in Chinese?
The tight compound 一…就… (yī…jiù…) links two actions that happen in immediate succession, meaning 'as soon as…then…'. Each half is short, and 就 comes right before the second verb. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 紧缩复句 (Tight Compound) in a sentence?
我一起床就去洗手。 — Wǒ yī qǐ chuáng jiù qù xǐ shǒu. — As soon as I get up, I go wash my hands. Minimal 一…就 frame with two simple daily actions.
What do you need to know before 紧缩复句 (Tight Compound)?
Sequential Compound Sentences (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 紧缩复句 (Tight Compound) lead to?
Coordinate and Sequential Compound Sentences (HSK 6), 一…就… (HSK 4). Each of them names 紧缩复句 (Tight Compound) among its own prerequisites.
Can the two halves have different subjects?
Yes. Each subject sits before its own verb, as in 你一到，我就出发。
Does 一…就 only mean 'as soon as'?
It also means 'whenever'. For example 他一紧张就说不出话 means he cannot speak whenever he is nervous.
Tight Compound is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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