刚 · 刚刚 · 刚才
just, only just · a moment ago
Structure
主语 + 刚／刚刚 + 动词 · 刚才 + （主语） + 动词
What it means
刚 and 刚刚 (a little stronger) mean “just, only just”; 刚才 means “a moment ago”. They look alike but sit in different places.
How it is built
Subject + 刚／刚刚 + verb: 我刚到家 (I’ve just got home). 刚才 can start the sentence: 刚才你去哪儿了？ (Where did you go just now?)
When to use it
刚 sits right before the verb, usually with no 了. It is “just” in your own sense of time, even weeks: 我刚来北京两个月. 刚才 is a time word and works with 没 and 了: 刚才我没听见.
Watch out
刚 can’t go before the subject or take 没. ✗ 刚我到家。 ✓ 我刚到家。 ✗ 我刚没去。 ✓ 刚才我没去。
Examples
我刚到家。
I’ve just got home.
他刚刚下班。
He’s only just finished work.
刚才你去哪儿了？
Where did you go just now?
我刚来北京两个月。
I’ve only been in Beijing two months.
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 7: 你去过西安吗 (Have you been there?)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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