才 + Number (only — a small amount)

A fare seems surprisingly small

You expected a ticket to cost more than twenty yuan.
this这zhè张票zhāng piàoonly才cái二十块èr shí kuài。 — only才cái presents the price as only twenty yuan against that expectation.

Practice

You expected a ticket to cost more than twenty yuan. What does 这张票才二十块。 communicate?

才 presents the price as only twenty yuan against that expectation.
才二十块 says that the ticket became available at twenty o'clock.

Build the form

The pattern in this lesson is only才cái + Number (only — a small amount). Locate it in the original interlinear examples below.
Keep the words in their demonstrated positions; the pattern must fit the intended situation as well as the sentence form.

you你nǐonly才cáitwenty二十岁èr shí suì？

Practice

Using the lesson pattern in this demonstrated example: Complete: 这家店 ____ 开业一个星期。(This shop has only been open a week.)

Read examples in context

In the opening example, this这zhè张票zhāng piàoonly才cái二十块èr shí kuài。: only才cái presents the price as only twenty yuan against that expectation.
Explain who acts, what is described and which time or group is relevant before choosing an English paraphrase.

Practice

你才二十岁? means …

only twenty (surprisingly young)
not until twenty
twenty again

Practice

Build: “They've only known each other three months!”

他们 (they)
才 (only)
认识 (known each other)
三个月 (three months)

Know the boundary

The price is a small amount from the speaker's viewpoint.
二十块èr shí kuàionly才cáienough (sufficient)够gòu instead means only twenty yuan is sufficient; word position and predicate change the scope.

Practice

Before a number, 才 stresses that the amount is large.

Practice

才二十块 says that the ticket became available at twenty o'clock.

Use the distinction

Key idea

only才cái presents the price as only twenty yuan against that expectation.
The price is a small amount from the speaker's viewpoint. 二十块èr shí kuàionly才cáienough (sufficient)够gòu instead means only twenty yuan is sufficient; word position and predicate change the scope.

Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Adverbs.

Practice

You expected a ticket to cost more than twenty yuan. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.