Level 4 · Lesson 20

就、才、又、再
就, 才, 又 and 再

他七点就来了，她九点才来。

Where an adverb stands, and the four that matter most: 就 and 才, 又 and 再 — with 还 and 都.

听 · Listen

谁迟到了？
 王老师 —  李明，你今天七点就到了？ 
Li Ming, you got here at seven today?  
 李明 —  是。我每天七点到。安娜呢？ 
Yes. I arrive at seven every day. What about Anna?  
 王老师 —  她昨天九点才来，今天又迟到了。 
She didn't get here until nine yesterday, and today she's late again.  
 李明 —  她昨天晚上十二点才睡觉。 
She didn't go to bed until twelve last night.  
 安娜 —  对不起，老师！我又迟到了。 
Sorry, Teacher! I'm late again.  
 王老师 —  没关系。明天你早一点儿来吧。 
It's all right. Come a bit earlier tomorrow.  
 安娜 —  好，我明天不迟到了。老师，我们下午还上课吗？ 
OK, I won't be late tomorrow. Teacher, do we still have class this afternoon?  
 王老师 —  上。下午两点我们再见面，大家都要来。 
We do. We'll meet again at two, and everyone has to come.  

讲解 · Explanation

我们都是学生。我还要一杯茶。

Every adverb in this lesson lives in one place: after the subject and before the verb. Never at the end of the sentence, never in front of the subject. 都 sums up whatever came before it, so it always looks left: 我们都是学生, 这些书都很好. 还 adds — 'still, as well, one more': 我还要一杯茶 (one more cup for me), 你还在学校吗？ (are you still at school?). When a modal or a negative joins in, the adverb usually goes first: 我们都会说汉语, 我也不去.

他七点就来了。她九点才来。

就 and 才 both sit next to a time, and they judge it. 就 says the thing happened earlier, faster or more easily than you would expect — 他七点就来了, 我一个小时就写完了. 才 says the opposite: later, slower, only after trouble — 她九点才来, 我等了一个小时她才来. The same clock, two different feelings. Notice the 了: a 就 sentence usually takes one, and a 才 sentence usually does not.

他昨天又来了。明天你再来吧。

又 and 再 both mean 'again', and Chinese splits them by time. 又 is for a repetition that has already happened, so it keeps company with 了: 我又忘了, 今天又下雨了. 再 is for one that has not happened yet, so it goes with tomorrow, with requests and with 吧: 请再说, 明天再见面吧. This is why the word for goodbye is 再见 — literally 'see you again'.

生词 · Vocabulary

词	Meaning	注 · Note
就	then, as early as, right away	七点就到了 — sooner than expected
才	only then, not until	九点才来 — later than expected
又	again (already happened)	又迟到了
再	again (still to come)	明天再见面, 再见
还	still, yet, in addition	我还要一杯茶
都	all, both	大家都来了 — looks left, never right

练习 · Practice

我们八点上课，他六点 ______ 到了。 He arrived at six — two hours early.

我昨天晚上十二点 ______ 睡觉。 You didn't get to bed until midnight — much later than usual.

这个茶很好，请你 ______ 喝一杯。 Fill in 'again' — the drink has not been poured yet.

排一排。 Arrange the words: 'We all study Chinese.'

就、才、又、再、还、都 Match each adverb to its job.

用一用 · Use it

你今天几点起床？六点就起床了？八点才起床？

Describe your own day with these six words. Give one time you were early (我…… 点就……了) and one you were late (我…… 点才……). Then say one thing you did again yesterday (我昨天又……了) and one you will do again tomorrow (明天我再……). Finish with the two summing words: 我们都是学生，我还要学汉语。