刚才

• Pinyin: gāng cái
• Hanzi breakdown: 刚 = 冈 (ridge, phonetic) + 刂 (knife); 才 = a simple character originally depicting a sprout

Meaning

Just now; a moment ago. Refers to a very recent point in time.

Functions as a time noun and can appear before or after the subject. Unlike 刚 which is an adverb placed before verbs, 刚才 refers to a specific recent time point.

Examples

1. 刚才谁打电话了？ Who called just now?
2. 我刚才在超市看到你了。 I saw you at the supermarket just now.
3. 他刚才说了什么？ What did he say just now?

Usage Guide

Context: everyday conversation, asking about recent events

Tone: conversational

Do Say

• 刚才发生了什么事？(What just happened?)
• 我刚才去了商店。(I just went to the store.)

Don't Say

• 不要用刚才描述很久以前的事 — 刚才 only refers to the very recent past (minutes ago), not hours or days ago.

Origin & History

Compound of 刚 (just) and 才 (only then), reinforcing the sense of extreme recency.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal