AdverbS
15.2就 jiù is also used to link two verb phrases and to signal a relationship of sequence between
them.我看了报以后就睡觉。
我看了報以後就睡覺。
Wǒ kàn le bào yǐhòu jiù shuì jiào.
After I read the newspaper I will go to sleep.
她很聪明。一学就会。
她很聰明。一學就會。
Tā hěn cōngming. Yī xué jiù huì.
She is really smart. As soon as she studies it, she gets it.C42.2.2.1
就 jiù usually precedes negation, but it may also follow negation.这件事情不就是我一个人知道。
這件事情不就是我一個人知道。
Zhè jiàn shìqing bù jiù shì wǒ yī gè rén zhīdao.
(As for) this matter, it is not just I who knows.15.2.5 只 zhH ‘only’
只 zhǐ can be used interchangeably with 就 jiù to express the meaning ‘only.’ It does not have
any of the other meanings or functions associated with 就 jiù.
我只有一块钱。
我只有一塊錢。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yī kuài qián.
I only have one dollar.Like 就 jiù, 只 zhǐ typically precedes negation, but may also follow it.
这件事情不只是我一个人知道。
這件事情不只是我一個人知道。
Zhè jiàn shìqing bù zhǐ shì wǒ yī gè rén zhīdao.
(As for) this matter, it is not just I who knows.15.2.6 才 cái ‘only, only then’
才 cái indicates that something is less than expected. In sentences in which there is only a
single verb, 才 cái may be translated into English as ‘only.’他才认识五个字。
他才認識五個字。
Tā cái rènshi wǔ gè zì.
He only knows (recognizes) five characters [and that is fewer than one would expect].
那个孩子才一岁。当然还不会说话。
那個孩子才一歲。當然還不會說話。
Nàge háizi cái yīsuì. Dāngrán hái bù huì shuō huà.
That child is only one year old. Of course (s/he) can’t speak yet.我今天才挣了三百元。
Wǒ jīntiān cái zhèng le sānbǎi yuán.
Today I only earned 300 yuan (300 dollars).