How to Say 'Just Now' in Chinese: 刚才 vs 刚/刚刚
Learn to use 刚才 as a time noun meaning 'just now' and 刚/刚刚 before verbs to mean 'just' or 'only a moment ago'. Master patterns, negation, and common mistakes.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Mandarin has several ways to describe something that happened a short time ago. 刚才 (gāngcái) sets a recent time frame and can come before or after the subject. 刚 (gāng) commonly comes before a verb to emphasize that an action just happened. 刚刚 (gānggāng) often works like 刚, and can also function as a time expression. Their uses overlap, so this lesson focuses on dependable examples rather than treating them as completely separate meanings. Practice asking what someone said, explaining that you did not hear clearly, and saying you just arrived.
By the end, you can…
- use 刚才 as a time expression meaning 'just now' in a sentence.
- use 刚 or 刚刚 before a verb to say that an action just happened or a state just began.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
刚才
just now; a moment ago
gāngcái
A time noun. It can be placed at the beginning of a sentence or after the subject. It refers to a moment in the recent past, but the exact time gap is flexible.
刚
just; only a short time ago
gāng
An adverb placed directly before a verb. It indicates that an action happened very recently or a state just came about. It cannot stand alone as a time word.
刚刚
just now; just a moment ago
gānggāng
Often used before a verb, like 刚: 我刚刚到 (I just arrived). It can also function as a time expression, so do not assume every sentence-position rule for 刚 applies to 刚刚.
我刚才没听清楚。
I didn't hear clearly just now.
Wǒ gāngcái méi tīng qīngchu.
Use 刚才 with 没 to negate a past action. This means the action did not happen at that recent time.
我刚到。
I just arrived.
Wǒ gāng dào.
Use 刚 before the verb 到 to say you arrived a very short time ago. It implies you are still in the state of having just arrived.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern with 刚才 is: [Subject] + 刚才 + Verb + Object. For example, 我刚才开会 means 'I was in a meeting just now.' You can also put 刚才 at the start: 刚才我开会. With 刚/刚刚, the pattern is: [Subject] + 刚/刚刚 + Verb + Object. For example, 我刚到 means 'I just arrived.' 刚刚 works the same: 他刚刚走 means 'He just left.' Note that 刚 cannot be followed by a noun directly; it must have a verb. Also, 刚才 can be used with 没 to negate: 我刚才没听清楚 (I didn't hear clearly just now). In contrast, 刚 is not typically negated with 没 in the same way; to say 'I haven't arrived yet,' you use 还没, as in 我还没到, which means 'I haven't arrived yet.'
When to use it
Use 刚才 when you want to refer to a specific recent moment as a time frame, often to explain what happened or didn't happen at that time. It is common in sentences like 刚才你在哪儿？(Where were you just now?) or 刚才对不起 (Sorry about just now). Use 刚 or 刚刚 when you want to emphasize that an action has just occurred or a state has just begun, often with a sense of immediacy. For example, 我刚吃完饭 (I just finished eating) suggests the action is very recent. 刚刚 can sound a bit softer or more emphatic. Avoid using 刚 to mean 'a few minutes ago' strictly; the actual time gap can vary—it could be seconds or longer, depending on context. Also, remember that 刚才 is a time noun and can be separated from the verb, while 刚 is an adverb and must be right before the verb.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你刚才去哪儿了？
Where did you go just now?Nǐ gāngcái qù nǎr le?我刚才去洗手间了。
I went to the restroom just now.Wǒ gāngcái qù xǐshǒujiān le.哦，我刚看到你的消息。
Oh, I just saw your message.O, wǒ gāng kàndào nǐ de xiāoxi.没关系，我也刚到。
It's okay, I just arrived too.Méi guānxi, wǒ yě gāng dào.A little context goes a long way
In Mandarin conversation, using 刚才 or 刚 appropriately can make your speech sound more natural. 刚才 is often used to bring up a recent event that both speakers are aware of, while 刚 adds a sense of immediacy. When asking staff for help, you might say 我刚才没听清楚，请再说一遍 (I didn't hear clearly just now, please say it again). This is polite and clear. Avoid overusing 刚 for events that happened hours ago; it is best for very recent actions.
One thing to watch for
Using 刚 to mean not yet, as in 我刚到 when you mean I have not arrived yet.
Try this instead: 我刚到 means I just arrived. For I have not arrived yet, say 我还没到. To refer to not hearing clearly at a recent moment, 我刚才没听清楚 is a useful clear example.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'I was in a meeting just now.'
Show a sample answer
我刚才在开会。
刚才 is used as a time noun before the verb phrase 在开会. You could also say 刚才我在开会, with 刚才 at the beginning. Both are correct.
2Give two ways to say: He just left. Use 刚 in one and 刚才 in the other.
Show a sample answer
他刚走了。 / 他刚才走了。
Both are possible. 刚 emphasizes how recently he left; 刚才 places the departure in a recent time frame. Subject + 刚才 + verb is a valid pattern, so no pause is required before the verb.
3What is the difference between 我刚才没听清楚 and 我还没听清楚?
Show a sample answer
我刚才没听清楚 means 'I didn't hear clearly just now' (referring to a specific past moment). 我还没听清楚 means 'I haven't heard clearly yet' (implying the situation continues).
刚才 with 没 negates a past action at a recent time. 还没 indicates that the action has not yet been completed. Both are correct in different contexts.
Use 刚才 as a time noun for 'just now', and 刚/刚刚 before a verb to mean 'just' or 'only a moment ago'. Remember: 刚才 can be negated with 没, but for 'not yet' use 还没.
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