▎就, jiù, (Adv), in V 了 A 就 B, (V le A jiù B), do B right after doing A (2)

 

Function The pattern ‘V 了 A 就 B’ indicates that instance 2 (B) occurs right after the completion of instance 1 (A). The pattern creates a feeling of immediacy, as soon as.

1 我放了假就去旅行了。

Wǒ fàngle jià jiù qù lǚxíng le.

I went on break (my break started) and I went traveling.

2 他吃了藥就睡覺了。

Tā chīle yào jiù shuìjiào le.

He took medicine and went to sleep.

3 我下了飛機就打電話給你。

Wǒ xiàle fēijī jiù dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.

I’ll call you after I get off the plane.

 

Structures The two instances can be independently in the affirmative or in the negative.

1 他到了臺北，就去臺北 101 看看。

Tā dàole Táiběi, jiù qù Táiběi 101 kànkàn.

He arrived in Taipei and checked out Taipei 101.

2 妹妹喝了一碗熱湯，就不覺得冷了。

Mèimei hēle yì wǎn rè tāng, jiù bù juéde lěng le.

My little sister stopped feeing cold right after she had a bowl of hot soup.

3 姐姐吃了臭豆腐，肚子就不舒服。

Jiějie chīle chòudòufǔ, dùzi jiù bù shūfú.

Sister ate stinky tofu then her stomach started acting up.

Questions：The A-not-A form is not possible. Either 嗎ma or 是不是shìbúshì can be used to form questions.

1 他們見了面，就去喝咖啡嗎？

Tāmen jiànle miàn, jiù qù hē kāfēi ma?

Did they go to drink coffee after they met?

2 你弟弟是不是下了課，就去 KTV 唱歌？

Nǐ dìdi shìbúshì xiàle kè, jiù qù KTV chànggē?

Your brother went to KTV to sing after class, right?

3 他是不是去紐約玩了兩個星期，就不想回來了？

Tā shìbúshì qù Niǔyuē wánle liǎng ge xīngqí, jiù bù xiǎng huílái le?

He visited New York for two weeks and didn’t want to come back, right?

 

Usage The ‘V 了 A 就 B’ pattern is similar to and different from the ‘一 A 就 B’, as explained below.

(1) The ‘一’ is followed by a relatively short verbal phrase, e.g., 一出來就… and 一看就…, to emphasize the immediate succession of the two actions. In contrast, the ‘V 了’ pattern is not as restricted in terms of what can follow it.

(2) 以後yǐhòu can be used with ‘V 了 A 就 B’, but it cannot occur with the ‘一 A 就 B’ pattern.

1 他吃了藥以後，就去睡覺。

Tā chīle yào yǐhòu, jiù qù shuìjiào.

2 ＊他一吃了藥以後，就去睡覺。

＊Tā yì chīle yào yǐhòu, jiù qù shuìjiào.