Time Adverbs: 刚、还、忽然、一直、已经
Time adverbs go before the verb and place an action in time. HSK 2 has 刚 (just now), 还 (still), 忽然 (suddenly), 一直 (all along) and 已经 (already).
- 刚 (gāng) = just now, just did something recently
- 还 (hái) = still, continuing a state
- 忽然 (hū rán) = suddenly, unexpected change
- 一直 (yī zhí) = all along, continuously
- 已经 (yǐ jīng) = already, completed before now
Word order: Subject + time adverb + verb/adj
✅ 他刚到家。(He just got home.)
✅ 她还在睡觉。(She is still sleeping.)
✅ 我已经吃了。(I already ate.)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我刚喝了一杯水。 | Wǒ gāng hē le yī bēi shuǐ. | I just drank a glass of water. | 刚 before verb shows the action happened very recently |
| 他一直很忙，没有时间休息。 | Tā yī zhí hěn máng, méi yǒu shí jiān xiū xi. | He has been busy all along and has no time to rest. | 一直 + adjective shows a continuous state |
| 我们已经到学校了，老师还没来。 | Wǒ men yǐ jīng dào xué xiào le, lǎo shī hái méi lái. | We have already arrived at school; the teacher still hasn't come. | 已经 and 还没 contrast completed vs. ongoing state |
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.
刚 (gāng)
Says an action has just happened.
Structure: Subject + 刚 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我刚到家，你就打电话来了。 | Wǒ gāng dào jiā, nǐ jiù dǎ diàn huà lái le. | I had just got home when you called. |
| 他刚学汉语，说得不太好。 | Tā gāng xué hàn yǔ, shuō de bú tài hǎo. | He has just started Chinese and does not speak well yet. |
| 我刚吃完饭，还不饿。 | Wǒ gāng chī wán fàn, hái bú è. | I just finished eating and am not hungry yet. |
Not: 我刚昨天到家。 刚 means 'just now', so it does not take a past time word.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, adverbs (时间副词).
还 (hái)
Says a state continues or has not yet changed.
Structure: Subject + 还 + verb / 还没 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他还在睡觉。 | Tā hái zài shuì jiào. | He is still sleeping. |
| 作业还没做完。 | Zuò yè hái méi zuò wán. | The homework is not done yet. |
| 已经十点了，你还不睡吗？ | Yǐ jīng shí diǎn le, nǐ hái bú shuì ma? | It is already ten, are you still not sleeping? |
Not: 他没还来。 还 goes before 没: 他还没来.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 1, adverbs (关联副词); level 2, adverbs (时间副词); level 3, adverbs (程度副词); level 4, adverbs (语气副词); level 4, complex sentences (递进复句); level 5, complex sentences (递进复句).
还 is also explained in: Comparison with 比: A比B + adj/更/还 (HSK 2).
忽然 (hū rán)
Marks something that happens suddenly.
Structure: 忽然 + verb / 忽然 + clause
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 天忽然黑了。 | Tiān hū rán hēi le. | It suddenly got dark. |
| 我正在走路，忽然下雨了。 | Wǒ zhèng zài zǒu lù, hū rán xià yǔ le. | I was walking when it suddenly started to rain. |
| 他忽然想起一件事。 | Tā hū rán xiǎng qǐ yí jiàn shì. | He suddenly remembered something. |
Not: 他每天忽然迟到。 忽然 is for one sudden event, not for a habit.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (时间副词).
一直 (yì zhí)
Means 'all along' or 'straight'.
Structure: Subject + 一直 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我一直在等你。 | Wǒ yì zhí zài děng nǐ. | I have been waiting for you all along. |
| 这条路一直往前走就到了。 | Zhè tiáo lù yì zhí wǎng qián zǒu jiù dào le. | Go straight along this road and you are there. |
| 他一直不喝咖啡。 | Tā yì zhí bù hē kā fēi. | He has never drunk coffee. |
Not: 我等一直你。 一直 goes before the verb: 我一直等你.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, adverbs (时间副词).
已经 (yǐ jīng)
Says something is already done.
Structure: Subject + 已经 + verb + 了
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他已经二十岁了。 | Tā yǐ jīng èr shí suì le. | He is already twenty. |
| 电影已经开始了。 | Diàn yǐng yǐ jīng kāi shǐ le. | The film has already started. |
| 你已经做完作业了吗？ | Nǐ yǐ jīng zuò wán zuò yè le ma? | Have you finished your homework already? |
Not: 我已经没吃饭。 已经 goes with finished things; for 'not yet' use 还没: 我还没吃饭.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, adverbs (时间副词).
已经 is also explained in: Multiple Adverbials: Ordering Rules (HSK 5).
Compared side by side: 刚 vs 刚才 · 还 vs 已经.
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.
The same pattern at other levels
- Time Adverbs — HSK 3
- Time adverbs — HSK 4
- Time Adverbs — HSK 5
Questions about Time Adverbs
What does 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) mean in Chinese?
Time adverbs go before the verb and place an action in time. HSK 2 has 刚 (just now), 还 (still), 忽然 (suddenly), 一直 (all along) and 已经 (already). It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) in a sentence?
我刚喝了一杯水。 — Wǒ gāng hē le yī bēi shuǐ. — I just drank a glass of water. 刚 before verb shows the action happened very recently.
What do you need to know before 时间副词 (Time Adverbs)?
Time Expressions as Adverbials (HSK 1). 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 is the difference between 刚 and 刚才?
刚 is an adverb that goes before the verb, as in 我刚到. 刚才 is a time word that can start a sentence, as in 刚才谁给你打电话？
What is the difference between 还 and 已经?
还 means something is still going on, and 已经 means it has already happened. 他还没来 means he has not come yet, while 他已经来了 means he is here.
Time Adverbs 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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