Just now — placed before the verb to signal that something happened very recently, often with the implication that the situation is still relevant now.
概览gàilǎnWhat 刚 Does
语法洞见 yǔfǎ dòngjiàn · Grammar Insight
刚 gāng is an adverb of recency — it marks that an action or event occurred very shortly before the moment of speaking, with the implication that the consequences or relevance of that action are still present. The gap between the action and the present can range from seconds to hours (even days in some contexts), as long as the speaker feels the action is recent and still relevant.
Key structural rule: 刚 precedes the verb directly. It does NOT take 了 after the verb — because the recency implied by 刚 already signals that the action is complete and current. Adding 了 would be redundant and sounds unnatural. 我刚吃 / 我刚吃饭 (I just ate) — no 了.
刚 contrasts with three related words: 刚才 gāngcái (just now — as a time noun for "a moment ago"), 刚刚 gānggāng (just, just this moment — more emphatic), and 才 cái (only just, barely; often implies "and no sooner" — with emphasis on lateness or unexpectedness). All four cluster around recency and immediacy.
基本jīběnBasic Pattern — 刚 + Verb
基本句型 jīběn jùxíng · Core Pattern[Subject] + 刚 + [Verb Phrase] (no 了)
我刚起床。I just got up.
他刚走。He just left.
我们刚到北京。We just arrived in Beijing.
刚 sits directly before the verb. No 了 is needed — 刚 already encodes completion and recency. The sentence carries an implicit "and the situation is still relevant." 他刚出去 "He just went out" implies: he's not here yet, don't bother calling. 我刚吃 "I just ate" implies: I'm not hungry.
你来得正是时候，我们刚开始吃饭。
Nǐ lái de zhèng shì shíhou, wǒmen gāng kāishǐ chīfàn.
You came at just the right time — we just started eating.
抱歉，他刚离开，你可以给他打电话。
Bàoqiàn, tā gāng líkāi, nǐ kěyǐ gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.
Sorry, he just left — you can give him a call.
刚才gāngcái刚 vs 刚才 — The Critical Distinction
刚 vs 刚才 · Adverb vs Time Noun刚 = adverb — placed directly before a verb: 他刚来 "he just came" 刚才 = time noun — refers to "a moment ago" as a time point, can appear at the start of the clause OR before the verb: 刚才他来了 / 他刚才来了 "just now, he came; he came a moment ago"
Key difference: 刚才 sentences often take 了 (because it refers to a completed past event); 刚 sentences do NOT take 了.
刚才 vs 刚gāngcái vs gāngA moment ago (noun) vs. just (adverb)
Contrast 对比 duìbǐ
刚才 is a time expression meaning "a moment ago, just now" — it can stand alone as a topic (刚才发生了什么？"What happened just now?") or precede the verb. 刚 is a pure adverb that must precede the verb directly and cannot stand alone as a topic. Both convey recency, but their grammatical behavior differs. 刚才 allows 了; 刚 does not.
刚才你说了什么？我没听清楚。
Gāngcái nǐ shuō le shénme? Wǒ méi tīng qīngchǔ.
What did you say just now? I didn't hear clearly. (刚才 as time topic)
他刚说完，大家就鼓掌了。
Tā gāng shuō wán, dàjiā jiù gǔzhǎng le.
The moment he finished speaking, everyone applauded. (刚 as adverb, no 了 on its own verb)
刚刚gānggāng刚刚 — Reduplicated for Emphasis
刚刚 · More Emphatic Recency
刚刚 = more emphatic than single 刚 — "just this instant, literally just now":
他刚刚走。He literally just left. (stronger than 他刚走)
刚刚好 gānggāng hǎo = "just right; exactly perfect" — a common idiomatic expression
刚刚 follows the same rule: no 了 after the verb.
时态副词对比 shítài fùcí duìbǐ · The Recency-Completion Cluster刚 gāng — just happened (value-neutral recency): 我刚吃 "I just ate" 才 cái — only just/barely; often implies later than expected or surprisingly small amount: 他才来 "he only just now came / he finally came" (implies long-awaited or surprisingly late) 已经 yǐjīng — already (completion relative to a reference point, often sooner than expected): 他已经来了 "he has already come" (earlier than expected, or establishing prior completion) 刚才 gāngcái — a moment ago (past time reference): refers to a recent but completed moment
例句lìjùExtended Examples — Natural Contexts
刚 across contextsnatural usageJust now in daily situations
Examples 例句
Diverse examples showing 刚 in arrival, completion, discovery, and sequential contexts.