▎才, cái, (Adv), longer/later than expected (2)

 

Function 才 implies that the instance referred to in the sentence has taken longer than expected.

1 你現在才來，大家等你很久了。

Nǐ xiànzài cái lái, dàjiā děng nǐ hěn jiǔ le.

You’re finally here. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.

2 他是昨天才到台北的，所以睡得不好。

Tā shì zuótiān cái dào Táiběi de, suǒyǐ shuì de bù hǎo.

He just arrived in Taipei yesterday, so he did not sleep very well.

3 我等了十分鐘，捷運才來。

Wǒ děngle shí fēnzhōng, jiéyùn cái lái.

I waited 10 minutes before the MRT finally came.

 

Structures Time expressions are nearly always used in 才 sentences. 才 itself cannot be negated. 不是 negation is used instead.

Negation：

1 我跟你一起住了十年了。我不是現在才了解你的。

Wǒ gēn nǐ yìqǐ zhùle shí nián le. Wǒ búshì xiànzài cái liǎojiě nǐ de.

I have lived with you for 10 years already. It’s not like I just got to know you now.

2 他不是今天才告訴老闆他不能來上班的。

Tā búshì jīntiān cái gàosù lǎobǎn tā bù néng lái shàngbān de.

He didn’t wait until today to tell his boss that he can’t come in to work.

3 我們不是今天才認識的，是三年前就認識的。

Wǒmen búshì jīntiān cái rènshì de, shì sān nián qián jiù rènshì de.

We didn’t just meet today. We met three years ago.

Questions：

1 王先生這個月才來上班的嗎？

Wáng xiānshēng zhè ge yuè cái lái shàngbān de ma?

Mr. Wang didn’t come to work until this month?

2 你是不是昨天晚上10點才打電話給他的？

Nǐ shìbúshì zuótiān wǎnshàng 10 diǎn cái dǎ diànhuà gěi tā de?

You waited until 10 o’clock last night before calling him, didn’t you?

3 你什麼時候才可以跟我去看電影？

Nǐ shénme shíhòu cái kěyǐ gēn wǒ qù kàn diànyǐng?

When will it be before you’ll be able to see a movie with me?

 

Usage While 才 indicates that the instance referred to has taken longer than expected, 就jiù indicates that the instance referred to occurred sooner than expected. Compare the following.

1 我等了十分鐘捷運就來了。(pleased)

Wǒ děngle shí fēnzhōng jiéyùn jiù lái le.

I waited for the MRT and it came in just 10 minutes.

2 我等了十分鐘捷運才來。(displeased)

Wǒ děngle shí fēnzhōng jiéyùn cái lái.

I waited for the MRT, but it didn’t come for 10 minutes.