Menu
GoEast Mandarin
  • Online
    • Private tutor
    • Group class
    • For children
    • For corporates
  • Courses
    • HSK1
    • HSK2
    • Hanzi
    • HSK3
    • HSK4
    • HSK5 & 6
    • Business Chinese
    • Spoken Chinese
  • Group class
  • Open class
    • Online open class
    • Open class in Shanghai
    • 1-on-1 trial class
    • Language assessment
  • Shanghai
    • Private Classes
    • Group Classes
    • Yangpu campus
    • French Concession
    • Visa help
    • For corporates
  • Resources
    • Events
  • About
    • About GoEast
    • Teachers and staff
    • Reviews
    • Partners
  • Contact
Close Menu
就jiu

Usage of ‘就 jiù’ in Chinese language

When Chinese language students first learn 就 (jiù), they’re told that it means “just”. But *just* like the word *just* in English, the word “just” in Mandarin Chinese has many meanings and ways to use it.

Here are some examples of how to use ‘就 jiù’ in the Chinese language levels HSK 2 and 3. We hope with these tips, 就 (jiù) will drive you a little bit less crazy while learning Mandarin.

Use 就 (jiù) to emphasize a verb

Put “jiu” before a verb to emphasize the verb.

  • Michael是谁?就是我。
  • Michael shì shéi? jiù shì wǒ.
  • Who is Michael? It’s me.

就 (jiù) signals an action takes only a short amount of time

  • 天安门广场离这儿不远,走路二十分钟就到了。
  • Tiān’ānmén guǎngchǎng lí zhèr bù yuǎn, zǒulù èrshí fēnzhōng jiù dào le.
  • Tian’anmen Square is not far from here. It just took 20 minutes to walk there.

Structure: Topic +就(jiù)……(了le)

You can rephrase this sentence:

  • 早上9点上课,他8点到教室。
  • Zǎoshang 9 diǎn shàngkè, tā 8 diǎn dào jiàoshì.
  • Class starts at 9 o’clock in the morning, and he arrives in the classroom at 8 o’clock.

Into this one:

  • 他八点就到教室了。
  • Tā bā diǎn jiù dào jiàoshì le.
  • He arrived in the classroom at eight o’clock.

Another rewriting example using 就 jiù:

  • 飞机是12点的,王小麦10点到机场。
  • Fēijī shì 12 diǎn de, Wáng Xiǎomài 10 diǎn dào jīchǎng.
  • The plane is at 12 o’clock, Wang Mai arrives at the airport at 10 o’clock.

Into this:

  • 王小麦10点就到机场了。
  • Wáng xiǎomài 10 diǎn jiù dào jīchǎngle.
  • Wang Maimai arrived at the airport at 10 o’clock.

Another example, from this:

  • 他三分钟吃完了午饭。
  • Tā sān fēnzhōng chī wánle wǔfàn.
  • He finished his lunch in three minutes.

To:

  • Tā sān fēnzhōng jiù chī wán fànle.
    他三分钟就吃完饭了。
    He finished his meal in three minutes.

And:

  • 他用了不到半个小时跑完了10公里的马拉松。
  • Tā yòngle bú dào bàn gè xiǎoshí pǎo wánle 10 gōnglǐ de mǎlāsōng.
  • He ran the 10 km marathon in less than half an hour.

Into:

  • 他不到半个小时就跑完马拉松了。
  • Tā bú dào bàn gè xiǎoshí jiù pǎo wán mǎlāsōngle.
  • He finished the marathon in less than half an hour.

Use 就 (jiù) to emphasize an action will happen soon

This is the most common meaning of “jiu” in Chinese language HSK 2 textbooks.

  • 等我一下,我就来。
  • Děng wǒ yíxià, wǒ jiù lái.
  • Wait for me, I will come soon.

The structure “jiu…le / jiuyao… le” is the same meaning.

  • 春节就要来了。
  • Chūnjié jiùyào lái le.
  • The Spring Festival is coming soon.

就 (jiù) signals an action happened earlier than expected

In this case, put “jiu” after the time word.

  • 我早上8点就到公司了。
  • Wǒ zǎoshang 8 diǎn jiù dào gōngsī le.
  • I arrived the company at 8 am.

Use 就 (jiù) as ‘Then’ (conjunction word)

  • 只要你努力学习,你就一定能成功。
  • Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì xuéxí, nǐ jiù yídìng néng chénggōng.
  • As long as you study hard, then you will surely succeed.

The structure “…le…jiu…” has the same meaning, but in Chinese indicates two actions that occurred successively.

  • 昨天我回了家就睡觉。
  • Zuótiān wǒ huíle jiā jiù shuìjiào.
  • Yesterday I went home then slept immediately.

————————

These are five different Chinese language meanings of “jiu” in HSK 2 and 3. Why are there so many variations at an elementary level? Maybe because it’s commonly used in everyday conversation. It’ll take you some time to get intuitive with this, but we hope this helps you understand the usage of this Chinese word a little better.

The best way to learn the Chinese language Benefits of taking Chinese courses online

Related Posts

Chinese phrases

Vocabulary

Chinese words and phrases per HSK level

Chinese hotpot vocabulary

Vocabulary

Chinese hotpot and food vocabulary

With in Chinese

Vocabulary

How to say “with” in Mandarin Chinese language

Events

  • Movie night: Eat drink man woman
  • 1 Hour Free Chat (Online)

Recent Posts

  • Can you learn Chinese characters from Chineasy?
  • About the Northeast Chinese accent (Dongbeihua)
  • Top Mandarin Chinese learning podcasts
  • Guide to Chinese Modal Particles
  • How to improve your Chinese pronunciation
Back To Top

TwitterFacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagram

Essential words in Hanzi, Pinyin & English

    Send me GoEast's '5000 Essential words in Hanzi, Pinyin & English' for free, followed by learning tips

    Company

    • About GoEast Mandarin
    • Events
    • Resources
    • Reviews
    • Partners
    • Visa help
    • NPS
    • Teachers & staff

    Courses

    • Online
    • Shanghai
    • Private classes
    • Group classes
    • For Children
    • Corporates
    • Spoken language
    • Intensive courses
    • Mini-MBA
    • Free placement test
    • YouTube

    Learning tips

    • What you need to know to speak the Chinese language
    • Chinese words and phrases per HSK level
    • All about Chinese Hanzi characters
    • Best YouTube channels for learning Mandarin Chinese
    • How long does it take to learn Mandarin Chinese?

    Contact us

    coursecenter@goeast.cn

    Yangpu campus
    No 194-196 Zhengmin Road
    Yangpu District, Shanghai
    T + 86-021-6512-9300

    French Concession campus
    Lane 147 Yongfu Lu, Building 63
    Xuhui District, Shanghai
    T + 86-021-5435-6358

    GoEast Ottawa
    123 Slater Street, 6th Floor
    Ottawa, ON K1P 5H2
    T: +16137204588

    © GoEast Mandarin
    沪ICP备12023309号