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Expressing "only after" with 才 ("cai2")

才 cái

Grammar
HSK 4

Structure

⋯⋯ ，才 ⋯⋯

Translations

  • when
  • then
  • until
  • only

Definition

表示动作或事件在某个条件或时间之后才发生，强调‘只有…才…’或‘等到…才…’等含义。

Indicates that an action or event occurs only after a certain condition or time, emphasizing meanings like 'only if...then...' or 'wait until...only then...'.

Usage

常用于‘只有…才…’、‘等到…才…’、‘……才……’等结构中，连接条件和结果，强调条件的重要性或时间的先后。一般置于动词前。

Commonly used in patterns like '只有...才...' (only if...then...), '等到...才...' (wait until...only then...), or simply '...才...' to connect condition and result, emphasizing the importance of the condition or the sequence of time. Usually placed before the verb.

Examples

  • 1 我做完作业才睡觉。 (I only sleep after finishing homework.)
  • 2 只有努力学习才能考上大学。 (Only by studying hard can you get into university.)
  • 3 等到明天才知道结果。 (Only tomorrow will we know the result.)
  • 4 他到了车站才发现忘了带票。 (He only realized he forgot the ticket after arriving at the station.)
  • 5 你说了我才明白。 (I only understood after you said it.)

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