Time Adverbs: 本来, 才, 曾经, 从来, 立刻

Q: How do you use 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) in a sentence?

我本来想周末去爬山，后来下雨就没去。 — Wǒ běn lái xiǎng zhōu mò qù pá shān, hòu lái xià yǔ jiù méi qù. — I originally wanted to go hiking this weekend, but it rained later, so I didn't go. 本来 states the original plan/intention, which then changed — usually followed by 后来 + what actually happened.

Chinese grammar · HSK 3 · 时间副词 · By Carson 木林森 · Updated October 2026

Time adverbs place an action in time or against what was expected. At HSK 3 they are 本来 (originally), 才 (only then, late), 曾经 (once), 从来 (all along, usually with a negative), 立刻 (immediately) and 终于 (finally).

本来 běn lái 才 cái 曾经 céng jīng 从来 cóng lái 立刻 lì kè 终于 zhōng yú

In English

These adverbs place an action in time. 本来 means originally, with the idea that things then changed. 才 means later or only then, so it shows that something was late, slow or needed a condition first.

曾经 means once, for an experience in the past, and often goes with 过. 从来 means all along, and is almost always used with 不 or 没. 立刻 means immediately.

终于 means finally, after a long wait or effort. Compare 才 and 就: 就 shows early, 才 shows late.

| 副词 | 意思 | 用法要点 |
|------|------|----------|
| 本来 běn lái | 原来（后来变了） | 本来想去，后来没去 |
| 才 cái | 比预期晚/条件达成后才发生 | 他八点才到（比预期晚）|
| 曾经 céng jīng | 曾经有过的经历，常带"过" | 我曾经去过北京 |
| 从来 cóng lái | 一直如此（几乎总跟否定词"不/没"连用）| 他从来不迟到 |
| 立刻 lì kè | 马上、立即 | 请立刻回来 |

核心区别1：才 vs 就 就＝比预期早/立刻发生（已学过）；才＝比预期晚，或要满足条件才发生。"六点就到了"（早）vs "八点才到"（晚）。

核心区别2：曾经 vs 从来 曾经＝"做过"（肯定的一次性经历，常配"过"）；从来＝"没做过/一直不"（几乎总跟否定连用，表"从过去到现在一直如此"）。

❌他从来去过北京 → ✅他曾经去过北京 / 他从来没去过北京。

Worked examples

Chinese	Pinyin	English	What it shows
我本来想周末去爬山，后来下雨就没去。	Wǒ běn lái xiǎng zhōu mò qù pá shān, hòu lái xià yǔ jiù méi qù.	I originally wanted to go hiking this weekend, but it rained later, so I didn't go.	本来 states the original plan/intention, which then changed — usually followed by 后来 + what actually happened.
火车八点就该开了，可是他八点半才到，差点儿没赶上。	Huǒ chē bā diǎn jiù gāi kāi le, kě shì tā bā diǎn bàn cái dào, chà diǎnr méi gǎn shàng.	The train was supposed to leave at 8, but he didn't arrive until 8:30 — he almost missed it.	才 marks arriving later than expected (8:30, after the 8:00 departure time), directly contrasted with 就 (which would mark something happening earlier/on schedule).
我曾经在这家餐厅工作过一年，现在已经不做了。	Wǒ céng jīng zài zhè jiā cān tīng gōng zuò guò yī nián, xiàn zài yǐ jīng bù zuò le.	I once worked at this restaurant for a year; I don't work there anymore now.	曾经 + verb + 过 marks a definite past experience that has ended.
他从来不喝咖啡，晚上喝了就睡不着。	Tā cóng lái bù hē kā fēi, wǎn shàng hē le jiù shuì bù zháo.	He never drinks coffee — if he drinks it at night he can't fall asleep.	从来 almost always pairs with a negation (不/没) to describe a consistent pattern from the past up to now.
老师说，作业写完以后要立刻交上来，不能拖延。	Lǎo shī shuō, zuò yè xiě wán yǐ hòu yào lì kè jiāo shàng lái, bù néng tuō yán.	The teacher said homework must be handed in immediately after finishing it — no delays.	立刻 marks that an action must happen right away, with no gap in time.

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.

本来 (běn lái)

Means originally, hinting that plans or facts later changed.

Structure: 本来 + original plan / state, then 后来 + change

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我本来打算坐地铁，可是下雨了，就打车去了。	Wǒ běn lái dǎ suàn zuò dì tiě, kě shì xià yǔ le, jiù dǎ chē qù le.	I originally planned to take the metro, but it rained, so I took a taxi.
这件衣服本来是红色的，洗了以后变白了。	Zhè jiàn yī fú běn lái shì hóng sè de, xǐ le yǐ hòu biàn bái le.	This garment was originally red and turned white after washing.
他本来不想去，后来还是去了。	Tā běn lái bù xiǎng qù, hòu lái hái shì qù le.	He originally did not want to go, but he went in the end.

Not: ~~我本来去过北京。~~ 本来 means originally planned or was; for a plain experience use 曾经.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (时间副词).

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.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, adverbs (时间副词); level 3, adverbs (语气副词); level 4, adverbs (语气副词).

才 is also explained in: 只要/只有…才…: only if/unless (HSK 4).

曾经 (céng jīng)

Means once, for something that happened in the past and is over.

Structure: 曾经 + verb (+ 过)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我曾经在日本住过两年。	Wǒ céng jīng zài rì běn zhù guò liǎng nián.	I once lived in Japan for two years.
这座城市曾经很小，现在变得很大。	Zhè zuò chéng shì céng jīng hěn xiǎo, xiàn zài biàn de hěn dà.	This city used to be small, and now it has become big.
他曾经是一名老师。	Tā céng jīng shì yì míng lǎo shī.	He used to be a teacher.

Not: ~~我曾经明天去北京。~~ 曾经 is for the past only.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, adverbs (时间副词).

从来 (cóng lái)

Means all along, nearly always with a negative.

Structure: 从来 + 不 / 没 (+ verb)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我从来没见过这么大的雪。	Wǒ cóng lái méi jiàn guò zhè me dà de xuě.	I have never seen such heavy snow.
她从来不吃甜的东西。	Tā cóng lái bù chī tián de dōng xī.	She never eats sweet things.
他从来都很准时。	Tā cóng lái dōu hěn zhǔn shí.	He has always been punctual.

Not: ~~我从来看过这部电影。~~ 从来 needs a negative: 我从来没看过这部电影.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (时间副词).

立刻 (lì kè)

Means immediately, with no delay.

Structure: 立刻 + verb

Chinese	Pinyin	English
听到电话响，他立刻跑了过去。	Tīng dào diàn huà xiǎng, tā lì kè pǎo le guò qù.	Hearing the phone ring, he ran over at once.
医生说，你应该立刻去医院。	Yī shēng shuō, nǐ yīng gāi lì kè qù yī yuàn.	The doctor said you should go to the hospital at once.
看到老师进来，学生们立刻安静了。	Kàn dào lǎo shī jìn lái, xué shēng men lì kè ān jìng le.	Seeing the teacher come in, the students fell quiet at once.

Not: ~~我明年立刻去中国。~~ 立刻 means right away, so it does not go with a distant date.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 5, adverbs (时间副词).

立刻 is also explained in: Time adverbs: 渐渐/逐渐/及时/立刻 (HSK 4).

终于 (zhōng yú)

Means finally, after waiting or trying for a long time.

Structure: 终于 + verb + 了

Chinese	Pinyin	English
等了三个小时，火车终于来了。	Děng le sān gè xiǎo shí, huǒ chē zhōng yú lái le.	After waiting three hours the train finally came.
我终于学会了用筷子。	Wǒ zhōng yú xué huì le yòng kuài zi.	I finally learned to use chopsticks.
经过很多努力，她终于考上了大学。	Jīng guò hěn duō nǔ lì, tā zhōng yú kǎo shàng le dà xué.	After a lot of effort she finally got into university.

Not: ~~我终于想吃苹果。~~ 终于 reports a result you long waited for, not a simple wish.

In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, adverbs (语气副词).

Compared side by side: 才 vs 就.

Produce this pattern without stopping to think about it. GraphChinese drills Time Adverbs across 14 exercises and schedules the review that keeps it.

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 Time Adverbs among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.

Complex Sentences

The same pattern at other levels

Time Adverbs — HSK 2
Time adverbs — HSK 4
Time Adverbs — HSK 5

Questions about Time Adverbs

What does 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) mean in Chinese?

How do you use 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) in a sentence?

我本来想周末去爬山，后来下雨就没去。 — Wǒ běn lái xiǎng zhōu mò qù pá shān, hòu lái xià yǔ jiù méi qù. — I originally wanted to go hiking this weekend, but it rained later, so I didn't go. 本来 states the original plan/intention, which then changed — usually followed by 后来 + what actually happened.

What do you need to know before 时间副词 (Time Adverbs)?

Time Adverbs (HSK 2), 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 does 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) lead to?

Complex Sentences (HSK 3). Each of them names 时间副词 (Time Adverbs) among its own prerequisites.

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.

Can I use 从来 in a positive sentence?

Rarely, and only with 都: 他从来都很准时. In most sentences it needs 不 or 没, such as 我从来没去过.

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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