语风汉语

Chinese grammar learning: the use of 就(jiù)

In Chinese language, the character就(jiù)  is one of those very common parts of Chinese grammar that many students find confused. It says that 就 (jiù) doesn't have a corresponding meaning in English, but, frustratingly, that's all it says about it. What is the role of 就(jiù) in a Chinese sentence, and how is it needed and used in a more general sense in Mandarin?

1. Where should I place 就 in a sentence?

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wŏmen xué wán         le  zhè    kè  kèwén

我们 学 完  了 这  课 课文

WE  STUDY FINISH LE THIS KE  LESSON

tā   jiù   néng   huí    jiā

他就 能  回 家

HE JIU CAN BACK HOME

He can go home as soon as we finish studying this lesson.

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wŏ yì               shuōhuà

我一 说话

I  AS SOON AS SPEAK

tā    jiù   xiào

他 就 笑

HE JIU   LAUGH

As soon as I speak he’ll laugh.

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wŏ

我

I

bā diăn           jiù   lái       le

八 点 就 来  了

8 O’ CLOCK JIU  COME LE

I came here as early as 8 o’clock.

2. How do I use 就 to imply an action takes place earlier than I have expected?

就 can be placed after a time word to comment on the time which is earlier than you have expected.

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tā

他

HE

jiŭ diăn            jiù  lái      le xuéxiào

九点 就 来 了学校

9  O’  CLOCK JIU COME LE SCHOOL

He came to school as early as nine o'clock.

Comparing with 他九点来了学校. He came to school at 9.

3. Can 就 be used to imply anything else apart from “earlier than expected”?

就 can also be used to indicate that a preceded number word is a small number.

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liăng ge  rén

两 个人

TWO GE PEOPLE

jiù néng bàn            hăo

就 能 办  好

JIUCAN DEAL WITH WELL/COMPLETE

......

It only takes two people to complete the job.

This sentence implies that the job is an easy one, and it only takes two people to complete.  The speaker thinks two is a small number. 两个人能办好. It takes two people to complete the job. The speaker states a fact. The sentence has neither implicated the easiness nor the size of the number, which the above one has.

4. Can 就 be used for other purposes?

就 can also be used for emphasis.

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tā  jiù shi wŏ de lăo shī

他就是我的 老师

HE JIU IS  MY    TEACHER

He is my teacher.

jiù măi zhèxiē

就买 这些

JIU BUY THESE

I’ll just buy these.

wŏ jiù  bú qù zhōngguó

我就不 去中国

I  JIU NOT GO CHINA

I certainly don’t go to China.

就 is used in the following sentence constructions.

The following example shows that 就 is used to indicate that first action is immediately followed by second action.

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s. v.1  了 o.1

就 v.2 o.2         (了 )

tā  xià          le   kè

他下 了课

HE FINISH  LE LESSON

jiù  qù   tú  shū guăn le 就去 图书馆 了

JIU  GO LIBRARY LE

He went to the library after the class.

就 can also be used to indicate that as soon as the first action takes place, the second action will happen. The following pattern indicates that as soon as the action in the 一clause takes place, then it will be followed by the action which is in the 就 clause. Both 一 and 就 are adverbs, which should be placed before verbs. This pattern is often seen in a four-character expression.

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s. 一 v.1(o.1)

就 v.2 (o.2)

tā   yì  shōu

他一说

HE YI SPEAK

wŏ   jiù   kū

我 就 哭

I     JIU CRY

A soon as he speaks I’ll start crying.

The difference between the above two examples is that the second example can be used for general descriptions, but the first is for a particular situation.