Comparison of '刚' (gāng) and '刚才' (gāngcái)

Description

In Chinese, '刚' (gāng) and '刚才' (gāngcái) both refer to actions or events that happened in the recent past. However, they have different nuances and uses.

刚 (gāng)

'刚' (gāng) means "just" or "just now" and is used to describe an action that happened very recently, but the exact time is not specified. It can also imply that the action just completed.

Examples with '刚'

• 我刚到家。(Wǒ gāng dào jiā.) - I just got home.
• 他刚离开。(Tā gāng líkāi.) - He just left.
• 我们刚开始。(Wǒmen gāng kāishǐ.) - We just started.

刚才 (gāngcái)

'刚才' (gāngcái) means "just now" or "a moment ago" and is used to refer to something that happened a very short time ago, typically within the same timeframe as the current conversation.

Examples with '刚才'

• 刚才你去哪儿了？(Gāngcái nǐ qù nǎ'er le?) - Where did you go just now?
• 刚才我见到他了。(Gāngcái wǒ jiàn dào tā le.) - I saw him just now.
• 刚才电话响了。(Gāngcái diànhuà xiǎng le.) - The phone rang just now.

Key Points

• '刚' (gāng) indicates a very recent action, often without specifying the exact time.
• '刚才' (gāngcái) refers to something that happened a moment ago, typically within the same timeframe as the current conversation.
• Both can be translated as "just" or "just now," but '刚才' (gāngcái) is more specific in terms of timing.