刚 vs 刚才 (just now: adverb vs time-word)
"Just now" — but which one?
- English has one phrase: just now. Chinese has two words.
- just now刚 and just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 both point at the recent past — but they are different kinds of word.
- Mixing them up is the classic HSK 3 slip.
just now刚 = an adverb, "just (did)"
- Subj + just now刚 + Verb — just now刚 sits before the verb and says the action just happened.
he他just刚leave走。
- he / him他just now刚to walk走 = "he just left." just now刚 describes how recently, so no (completed / change)了 is needed.
Practice
Put the adverb right before the verb: 他 ____ 走。(He just left.)
刚 is an adverb tight before the verb: 他刚走 (he just left).
Practice
刚 and 刚才 are the same kind of word and always swap freely.
刚 is an adverb (before the verb); 刚才 is a time-word — they do not swap freely.
just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 = a time-word, "a moment ago"
- just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 + Clause — just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 is a noun of time; it can open the sentence like yesterday昨天.
a moment ago刚才he他be at在here这儿。
- just now (variant of 刚才)刚才he / him他at / in在here这儿 = "a moment ago he was here." You can't swap in just now刚 here.
Explore
Which word completes the sentence?
刚 is an adverb glued before the verb; 刚才 is a time-word that can open the sentence or take 的.
Practice
Which word can open a sentence like 昨天 (a time-word)?
刚才 is a time-noun, so 刚才他在这儿 works; 刚 is an adverb tied to the verb.
Practice
Build: “A moment ago he was here.”
刚才 is a time-word and opens the clause: 刚才 + 他 + 在这儿.
Recap
Key idea
- just now刚 = adverb, before the verb — "just (did)": he / him他just now刚to walk走
- just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 = time-word, "a moment ago": just now (variant of 刚才)刚才he / him他at / in在here这儿
- just now刚 modifies the verb; just now (variant of 刚才)刚才 names a point in time
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Comparing adverbs.