Word: 才 (cái)

不知道他什么时候才回来。

Bù zhīdào tā shénme shíhou cái huílai.

I don't know when he'll come back.

为什么现在才到。

Wèishénme xiànzài cái dào.

Why have you only arrived now?

为什么现在才来？

Wèishénme xiànzài cái lái?

Why have you come only now?

什么时候才结束啊？

Shénme shíhou cái jiéshù a?

When will it end?

他们明天才会来。

Tāmen míngtiān cái huì lái.

They won't come until tomorrow.

他到了九点才回来。

Tā dàole jiǔ diǎn cái huílai.

He did not come back until nine o'clock.

他才来过一次。

Tā cái láiguo yícì.

He's only been here once before.

他明天才走。

Tā míngtiān cái zǒu.

He's not leaving until tomorrow.

他晚上很晚才回家。

Tā wǎnshang hěn wǎn cái huíjiā.

He came home late in the evening.

他晚了30分钟才到。

Tā wǎn le sānshí fēnzhōng cái dào.

He came 30 minutes late.

他老婆很有才。

Tā lǎopó hěn yǒu cái.

His wife is quite a talented woman.

你什么时候才会准备好出发？

Nǐ shénme shíhou cái huì zhǔnbèi hǎo chūfā?

When will you get ready to leave?

你做完作业才可以出去。

Nǐ zuò wán zuòyè cái kěyǐ chūqù.

You can't go out until you've finished your homework.

你应该高兴才是。

Nǐ yīnggāi gāoxìng cái shì.

You should be happy.

你怎么现在才来？

Nǐ zěnme xiànzài cái lái?

How come you've only just got here?

你才昨天谁来找我了？

Nǐ cái zuótiān shéi lái zhǎo wǒ le?

Who do you think came to see me yesterday?

你才是自己命运的主人。

Nǐ cái shì zìjǐ mìngyùn de zhǔrén.

You are the master of your own destiny.

你才笨呢！

Nǐ cái bèn ne!

Are you stupid or what?!

你走了他才来。

Nǐ zǒule tā cái lái.

He came after you left.

其实我才是杀你的狗的那一个。

Qíshí wǒ cái shì shā nǐ de gǒu de nà yí gè.

The truth is that I was the one who killed your dog.

到了那时，我才发现自己错了。

Dàole nàshí, wǒ cái fāxiàn zìjǐ cuòle.

It was not until then that I realized my mistake.

只有你才做得到。

Zhǐyǒu nǐ cái zuò dédào.

You're the only one who can do it.

只有游客才这么做。

Zhǐyǒu yóukè cái zhème zuò.

The only people who do this are tourists.

因为你不够努力，所以才会失败。

Yīnwèi nǐ búgòu nǔlì, suǒyǐ cái huì shībài.

The reason why you failed is you did not try hard enough.

大地震发生的时候，我才十岁。

Dà dìzhèn fāshēng de shíhou, wǒ cái shí suì.

When the big earthquake occurred, I was just ten.

希望别破妈妈发现才好。

Xīwàng bié pò māma fāxiàn cái hǎo.

I hope Mom doesn't find out.

我们一共才有500块钱，完全不够。

Wǒmen yígòng cái yǒu wǔbǎi kuài qián, wánquán búgòu.

Altogether we've only got 500 bucks - it's not enough at all.

我们十点上课，可是她十一点才来。

Wǒmen shí diǎn shàngkè, kěshì tā shíyīdiǎn cái lái.

We start class at 10, but she didn't arrive until 11.

我们才一到家就下起雨来了。

Wǒmen cái yí dào jiā jiù xià qǐ yǔ láile.

Hardly had we come home when it began to rain.

我们花了一个半钟头才做完。

Wǒmen huāle yígèbàn zhōngtóu cái zuò wán.

We spent an hour and a half getting it done.

我刚刚才到的。

Wǒ gānggang cái dào de.

I arrived just now.

我只有戴眼镜的话才看得清楚。

Wǒ zhǐyǒu dài yǎnjìng dehuà cái kàn de qīngchu.

I can only see clearly if I wear my glasses.

我弟觉得他比我强，但他才六岁。

Wǒ dì juéde tā bǐ wǒ qiáng, dàn tā cái liù suì.

My brother thinks that he's stronger than me. But he's only six years old.

我很晚才睡。

Wǒ hěn wǎn cái shuì.

I stayed up till late at night.

我才下班。

Wǒ cái xiàbān.

I just got off work.

我才不会呢！

Wǒ cái búhuì ne!

I'd never do that!

我才不吃这么恶心的东西呢！

Wǒ cái bùchī zhème ěxīn de dōngxi ne!

There's no way I'm eating something so disgusting!

我才不听你说的呢！

Wǒ cái bù tīng nǐ shuō de ne!

I don't give a fuck about what you say!

我才不管你累不累呢。

Wǒ cái bùguǎn nǐ lèi bú lèi ne.

I don't give a toss that you are tired.

我才不要呢！

Wǒ cái búyào ne!

Absolutely not!

我才接到他的电话。

Wǒ cái jiēdào tā de diànhuà.

I just got his call.

我才没想哭。

Wǒ cái méi xiǎng kū.

I didn't mean to cry.

我才看到你的email.

Wǒ cái kàndào nǐ deemail.

I just saw your email.

我是吃了饭才出发的。

Wǒ shì chīle fàn cái chūfā de.

I only set off after I'd eaten.

我是吃过饭才出发的。

Wǒ shì chīguo fàn cái chūfā de.

I only set off after I'd eaten.

我的意见才是最重要的！

Wǒ de yìjiàn cái shì zuì zhòngyào de!

My opinion is the one that counts!

所以我才会一直输。

Suǒyǐ wǒ cái huì yìzhí shū.

That’s why I keep losing.

方法并不重要，结果才重要。

Fāngfǎ bìng bú zhòngyào, jiéguǒ cái zhòngyào.

It is not the means which matters, it is the end.

昨天晚上我的女儿一点半才回家。

Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ de nǚ'ér yìdiǎn bàn cái huíjiā.

Last night my daughter didn't come home until half past one.

有人叫我来，我才来的。

Yǒurén jiào wǒ lái, wǒ cái lái de.

It's because I was asked to come that I'm here.

现在才五点，太早了。

Xiànzài cái wǔ diǎn, tài zǎole.

It's only five o'clock - it's too early.

电脑是最近才发明的。

Diànnǎo shì zuìjìn cái fāmíng de.

The computer is a recent invention.

谁才是我真正的父母？

Shéi cái shì wǒ zhēnzhèng de fùmǔ?

Who are my real parents?

还有几个小时才到得了？

Háiyǒu jǐ ge xiǎoshí cái dào de le?

How many hours left till arrival?

这家里应该没有男人才对。

Zhè jiālǐ yīnggāi méiyǒu nánrén cái duì.

There aren't supposed to be any men in this house.

这才算一个充分的理由。

Zhè cái suàn yí gè chōngfèn de lǐyóu.

Now that's a good reason.

这样做才对。

Zhèyàng zuò cái duì.

That's the way to do it. ["It's not right until you do it this way."]

那不是刀… 这才是刀！

Nà bú shì dāo… zhè cái shì dāo!

That's not a knife... this is a knife!