Video lesson: Three ways to use 才 (cái) in Mandarin Chinese grammar
视频课：“才”的三种用法
才 (cái) is one of the commonest words in Chinese, and one of the most confusing, because it does three quite different jobs. This lesson goes through each of them with example sentences: 才 meaning "only", 才 meaning "not until" or "just now", and 才…呢 meaning "no way".
The grammar guide: Three uses of 才 (cái) in Chinese grammar: only, just now / not until, emphasis
Chapters
- 0:00 才 (cái)
- 0:51 才 · only
- 2:49 才 · not until
- 4:55 才 · the real thing
- 6:16 才 · just now
- 6:45 才 · no way
- 7:52 Recap
Example sentences
Vocabulary list 词单
- Vocabulary list: Video lesson: Three ways to use 才 (cái) in Mandarin Chinese grammar 语法：才 57 words and 17 example sentences
Transcript
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0:05
Hey, welcome back! Today we're looking at a tiny word that does a surprising amount of work: 才.
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0:10
对，才。You'll hear it all the time, and it can be confusing at first, because it does three quite different jobs.
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0:19
Three jobs for one little word. Before we get into them, have a look at 才 itself. It only has three strokes, so it's quicker to write than most.
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0:27
And it looks the same in simplified and traditional Chinese, so there's only one form to learn.
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0:34
It's usually filed under the hand radical, and here's a clue to why. It looks almost exactly like the narrow form of hand. The only difference is the last stroke, which sweeps down to the left instead of flicking up.
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0:45
That's a nice way to remember it.
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0:47
Okay, let's take the jobs one at a time. What's the first?
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0:50
The first one means 'only'. It says an amount is small, smaller than someone expected. One friend asks: 你怎么有那么多？ And the other says: 我才有两个！
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1:07
'How come you've got so many?' 'I've only got two!' One thinks two is a lot, and the other pushes back.
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1:13
Let's take that answer apart. A plain answer would be: 我有两个。
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1:20
'I've got two.' Just a fact, nothing more.
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1:23
But add one word, and you get: 我才有两个！
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1:29
'I've only got two!' That one word is what pushes back. No, it's only two.
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1:35
Exactly. And notice where it goes: after the person, and right before the verb. You'll often hear it with a number. Without it: 他来过一次。 With it: 他才来过一次。
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1:55
'He's been here once' becomes 'He's only been here once.'
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1:59
It can also go straight in front of a time or a number, with no verb at all. Just the time first: 现在早上七点。
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2:09
'It's seven in the morning.' Just a time, nothing more.
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2:13
And with it: 现在才早上七点，太早了。
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2:21
'It's only seven in the morning, it's too early.' I feel that one at the weekend.
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2:25
And one more. 我们一共才有两百块钱，完全不够。
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2:36
'Altogether we've only got two hundred kuai. It's nowhere near enough.' So in all of these, there's a feeling that we've only got so far. There might be more later, but right now, it's only this much.
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2:46
That's right.
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2:47
Okay, what's the second job?
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2:49
The second one means 'not until'. Something happens later than you'd expect. Picture someone waiting for a friend who's late: 我们十点上课，可是她十一点才来。
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3:04
'Class starts at ten, but she didn't come until eleven.' So she was an hour late. Can we hear that one again?
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3:09
Sure. 我们十点上课，可是她十一点才来。
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3:22
And the order is: the time comes first, then 才, then the verb.
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3:27
Here's another one. Without it, you'd say: 他明天走。
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3:34
'He's leaving tomorrow.' No feeling either way, just the plan.
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3:38
Now add it in: 他明天才走。
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3:43
'He's not leaving until tomorrow.' So now it sounds later than you'd hoped.
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3:47
This next one you might hear from a friend who's been waiting for you. 你怎么现在才来？
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3:59
'How come you've only just got here?' I've heard that one a few times.
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4:04
And this next one is from your parents. As a promise: 你做完作业可以出去。
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4:10
'You can go out when you've finished your homework.' Sounds fair enough.
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4:14
And as a condition: 你做完作业才可以出去。
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4:21
'You can't go out until you've finished your homework.' Classic. No homework, no going out. Same pattern, with a condition in place of the time.
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4:32
And one important thing: 才和“了”，一般不一起用。
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4:37
Oh, that's a good tip. So no “了” when it means 'not until'. Here's how I think of it: 才 is kind of the opposite of 'already'. 'Already' means sooner than you thought, and this means later than you thought.
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4:52
Yes, that's a great way to think about it. Sometimes this use isn't about time at all. It's about something finally being good enough, or being the real thing. Imagine a friend just back from Harbin, who says: 到北方才能吃到真正的饺子！
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5:10
'You can only get real dumplings in the north!' I think people in the north would agree. Can we hear it again?
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5:16
Sure. 到北方才能吃到真正的饺子！ And another one. 这样做才对。
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5:34
'That's the right way to do it.' As in, it isn't right until you do it this way.
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5:38
Do you know the knife scene in Crocodile Dundee? Someone pulls a small knife on him, and he pulls out a huge knife. In Chinese, he'd say: 那不是刀……这才是刀！
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5:53
'That's not a knife… this is a knife!' I love that.
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5:57
Without it, it's just a description. 这是刀。
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6:03
'This is a knife.' Fine, but no drama.
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6:07
这才是刀！
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6:11
'Now this is a knife!' So 才 marks the one that really counts.
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6:16
There's one more shade of this meaning: 'just now'. 我才下班。
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6:24
'I've only just finished work.' So it happened a moment ago, but there's still that feeling of 'only just'. Later than you'd like.
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6:31
我才接到他的电话。
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6:37
'I've only just got his call.' It came a moment ago, and later than you'd like. Okay, and the third job?
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6:45
The third one is pure emphasis. It sounds strong, and sometimes a bit cheeky. Start with a plain no: 我不要。
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6:56
'I don't want it.' Polite enough.
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6:58
Now watch this. 我才不要呢！
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7:03
'No way do I want that!' So it's the person, then 才, usually a 不, and a 呢 at the end.
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7:12
Yes, they often go together. 我才不会呢！
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7:20
'I'd never do that!' Strong, and a bit defensive.
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7:24
我才不吃这么恶心的东西呢！
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7:32
'There's no way I'm eating something that disgusting!' Not a chance.
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7:37
And if someone tells you: 你笨！
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7:40
'You're stupid!' Charming.
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7:42
You can fire straight back with: 你才笨呢！
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7:48
'You're the stupid one!' That's a good one to have ready. So, let's recap. 才 can mean 'only', for a small amount.
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7:57
It can mean 'not until', when something happens later than you'd expect, and also 'just now'.
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8:05
It can mark the real thing. And it adds emphasis, usually with 呢 at the end.
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8:10
记住了吗？
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8:11
Got it! If you'd like to save the example sentences from this lesson and review them later, sign up for a free account at chineseboost.com.
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8:19
下次见！
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8:20
See you next time!
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