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March 24, 2026
刚才(剛才)gāngcái(gang1cai2)
刚才 (gāngcái) refers to a very recent time, typically meaning 'just now' or 'a moment ago.' It is often used to indicate something that has happened shortly before the present moment, making it useful in conversations about recent events or actions.
Frequency#538DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, timing is crucial, especially in conversations and social interactions. 使用刚才 to refer to recent events shows attentiveness to the flow of dialogue and helps maintain the context of discussions.
Memory Tip
Think of '刚' (gāng) as 'just' and '才' (cái) as 'now'—together they create the idea of something that occurred only a moment ago. Imagine a clock striking the hour, marking a precise moment just passed.
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AI Study Notes for 刚才
Quick Contrast
刚刚 (gānggāng) - use 刚才 when referring to a moment that has just passed in conversation, while 刚刚 emphasizes the immediacy of the action.
Memory Mnemonic
Think of '刚' (gāng) as 'just' and '才' (cái) as 'now'—together they create the idea of something that occurred only a moment ago. Imagine a clock striking the hour, marking a precise moment just passed.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 刚才 with 刚 (gāng), which means 'just' on its own and does not imply time. Use 刚才 in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of the tone; it’s spoken with a neutral tone. Common collocations include '我刚才看到' (I just saw) and '刚才说过' (just mentioned).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 刚才 connects well with other time-related vocabulary like 现在 (xiànzài, now) and 以前 (yǐqián, before). Focus on using it in sentences to describe actions that have just occurred to reinforce its meaning.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, timing is crucial, especially in conversations and social interactions. 使用刚才 to refer to recent events shows attentiveness to the flow of dialogue and helps maintain the context of discussions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often incorrectly use 刚才 to describe events that occurred some time ago, such as saying '我刚才吃了午饭' (I just had lunch), which should be corrected to '我刚刚吃了午饭' if it was a while ago. Additionally, mixing it up with 现在 (now) is common, but they serve different temporal functions.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 刚才
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Grammar Patterns of 刚才
刚才 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
啊？怎么了？你要告诉我我____做了什么吗？
Huh? What's going on? You want to tell me what I did?
Example Sentences for 刚才 (10)
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1
啊？怎么了？你要告诉我我刚才做了什么吗？
ā？ ？ zěn mó？ le ？ nǐ yào gào sù wǒ wǒ gāng cái zuò le shí？
Huh? What's going on? You want to tell me what I did?
2
“你刚才找的是不是这个？”布拉德利掏出那块手绢。
“ “ nǐ gāng cái zhǎo de shì bù shì zhè？” gè ？” bù lā dé lì tāo chū nà kuài。
"Is this what you were looking for?" Bradley produced the handkerchief.
3
你刚才是想诱使她供认吗？
nǐ gāng cái shì xiǎng yòu shǐ tā gōng rèn ma？
Were you just trying to trap her into making some admission?
This is Zhao Mindong. My secretary said you called.
10
请允许我再回到我刚才所提的观点。
qǐng yǔn xǔ wǒ zài huí dào wǒ gāng cái suǒ tí de guān diǎn。
Let me just go back to the point I was making.
Cultural Notes for 刚才
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, timing is crucial, especially in conversations and social interactions. 使用刚才 to refer to recent events shows attentiveness to the flow of dialogue and helps maintain the context of discussions.
Frequently Asked Questions about 刚才
No, 刚才 specifically refers to something that happened very recently, typically within minutes.
No, it can be used in both spoken and written language, but is more common in informal settings.
刚才 refers to a very recent past, while 以前 means 'before' and can refer to any time in the past.
