---
title: "就 (jiù) in Chinese: How to Use It, 就 vs 才 and 就是, With Sound"
description: "How to use 就 (jiù), answering what learners ask: 就 for sooner than expected, 就 or 才, 一…就…, 马上就 and 就要…了, 如果…就…, 就 for “only”, 就是 and 就算, each in sentences with pinyin and Play."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-jiu"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Free · 36 sentences

# How to use 就 (jiù)

就 says something came sooner than you thought, came right after, follows from an “if”, or is only so much. Here are its uses, each answering a question learners ask about it, in sentences with pinyin and sound.

青蛙qīngwāfrog

Speed

## 就 for sooner than expected

就 before the verb says it happened earlier, faster or more easily than you would think, and the verb usually takes 了: 他七点就到了, he was there by seven. English mostly leaves this unsaid.

diànyǐng电影bā八diǎn点kāishǐ开始，tā他qī七diǎn点jiù就dào到le了。

The film starts at eight, and he was there by seven.

tā她èrshí二十suì岁jiù就dāng当lǎobǎn老板le了。

She was running her own business at twenty.

wǒ我yīgè一个wǎnshang晚上jiù就kàn看wán完le了zhè这běn本shū书。

I read the whole book in one night.

nǐ你liù六diǎn点jiù就qǐchuáng起床le了？

You were up at six?

## 就 or 才?

They point opposite ways. 就 says it happened sooner than you would think, 才 later: 他八点就来了, he came as early as eight; 他十点才来, he didn’t come until ten. Before a small amount, both can mean “only”.

tā他bā八diǎn点jiù就lái来le了。

He came as early as eight.

tā他shí十diǎn点cái才lái来。

He didn’t come until ten.

wǒ我zhǎo找le了bàntiān半天cái才zhǎodào找到。

I looked for ages before I found it.

tā他cái才lái来yīgè一个yuè月jiù就zǒu走le了。

He’d been here only a month when he left.

## 就 for what comes next

就 joins what follows to what came first: right after it, because of it, or as the easy next step, where English says “then”, “so” or “just”. 一…就… is “as soon as”.

wǒ我xià下le了bān班jiù就qù去zhǎo找nǐ你。

I’ll come and find you right after work.

tā他yī一huíjiā回家jiù就wán玩shǒujī手机。

The moment he gets home, he’s on his phone.

xiàyǔ下雨le了，wǒmen我们jiù就bù不qù去le了。

It’s raining, so we won’t go.

jiù就zài在zhèr这儿chī吃ba吧。

Let’s just eat here.

[See it in our stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/yi-jiu)

## 马上就 and 就要…了: right away, about to

马上就 is “right away”: 我马上就来, I’ll be right there. 就要…了 is “about to”: 火车就要开了, the train is about to leave.

wǒ我mǎshàng马上jiù就lái来！

I’ll be right there!

děng等yīxià一下，fàn饭yīhuìr一会儿jiù就hǎo好。

Hold on, dinner will be ready in a minute.

huǒchē火车jiùyào就要kāi开le了。

The train is about to leave.

kuàidiǎnr快点儿，diànyǐng电影jiùyào就要kāishǐ开始le了！

Hurry, the film is about to start!

## If…, then…: 如果…就…, 只要…就…

就 opens what happens if the first part is true: 如果 or 要是 is “if”, 只要 “as long as”. 就 goes after the subject of its part: 你不去，我就不去.

rúguǒ如果nǐ你bù不xǐhuan喜欢，jiù就bié别mǎi买le了。

If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.

yàoshi要是nǐ你yǒu有shíjiān时间，jiù就lái来wǒjiā我家chīfàn吃饭ba吧。

If you have time, come to my place for dinner.

zhǐyào只要nǐ你měitiān每天liànxí练习，jiù就néng能xuéhuì学会。

As long as you practise every day, you’ll learn it.

nǐ你zài再bù不zǒu走jiù就chídào迟到le了。

If you don’t go now, you’ll be late.

[See it in our stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/ruguo-jiu)

## 就 for “only”

Before an amount or a person, 就 can mean “only”, like 只: 我们家就一个孩子, we have only one child, and 就他知道, only he knows.

wǒmen我们jiā家jiù就yī一gè个háizi孩子。

We have only one child.

tā他měitiān每天jiù就shuì睡wǔ五gè个xiǎoshí小时。

He sleeps only five hours a night.

zhè这jiàn件shì事jiù就tā他yī一gè个rén人zhīdào知道。

Only he knows about this.

qiánbāo钱包li里jiù就shèng剩shí十kuài块qián钱le了。

There’s only ten yuan left in my wallet.

## 就是 and a firm 就: exactly, simply

就是 before a noun is “is exactly”: 这就是我的家, this is my home. Before a verb, 就 or 就是 is a firm, even stubborn “just”: 我就不去！, I’m just not going!

zhè这jiùshì就是wǒ我de的jiā家。

This is my home.

tā他jiùshì就是wǒ我yào要zhǎo找de的rén人。

He’s exactly the person I’m looking for.

wǒ我jiù就bù不qù去！

I’m just not going!

tā她jiùshì就是bù不tīng听。

She just won’t listen.

## 就算…也…: even if

就算 begins “even if”, with 也 in the second part: 就算下雨，我也要去, even if it rains, I’m going. 就是 can begin it too.

jiùsuàn就算xiàyǔ下雨，wǒ我yě也yào要qù去。

Even if it rains, I’m going.

jiùsuàn就算nǐ你bù不shuō说，wǒ我yě也zhīdào知道。

Even if you don’t say it, I know.

jiùshì就是zài再máng忙，tā他yě也měitiān每天gěi给māma妈妈dǎdiànhuà打电话。

However busy he is, he calls his mum every day.

[See it in our stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/jishi-ye)

## 就 in everyday words

Some words hold 就 for good: 就是 agrees, 早就 is “long ago”, 将就 is making do.

jiùshì就是！wǒ我yě也zhème这么xiǎng想。

Exactly! That’s what I think too.

就是 jiùshì · exactly; is just

wǒ我zǎojiù早就zhīdào知道le了。

I knew that ages ago.

早就 zǎojiù · long ago; already

tā他zài在yīnyuè音乐shàng上hěn很yǒu有chéngjiù成就。

He has achieved a lot in music.

成就 chéngjiù · achievement

méiyǒu没有biéde别的le了，jiāngjiu将就yīxià一下ba吧。

There’s nothing else, so let’s make do.

将就 jiāngjiu · to make do

dàxuéshēng大学生jiùyè就业yuèláiyuè越来越nán难le了。

It’s getting harder for graduates to find jobs.

就业 jiùyè · to get a job; employment

## Now read them in a real story

[**学用筷子**Learning to use chopsticksHSK 3 · 1 minRead it free](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-use-chopsticks-story)

## What does 就 (jiù) mean?

就 has no one word in English. Most often it goes before the verb and says something came sooner than you would think (他七点就到了), came right after something else (我下了班就去), follows from an “if” (如果…就…), or is only so much (就一个). 就是 is “is exactly”.

## What’s the difference between 就 and 才?

They feel opposite ways about time: 就 is sooner than expected, 才 later. 他八点就来了 is “he came as early as eight”, and 他十点才来 “he didn’t come until ten”. Before a small amount, both can mean “only”.

## What does 就是 mean?

就是 is “is exactly”: 这就是我的家, this is my home. Said alone, 就是！ agrees: “exactly!”. Before a verb it is a stubborn “just” (她就是不听, she just won’t listen), and in 就是…也… it is “even if”.

## How do you pronounce 就?

jiù, with a falling fourth tone. It keeps it in 就是 (jiùshì) and 就要 (jiùyào); in 将就 (jiāngjiu), to make do, it is said light.

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## More free tools

- [How to use 了 (le)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-le)
- [How to use 的 (de)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-de)
- [Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)
- [Chinese grammar checker](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar-checker)
- [Chinese synonyms](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-synonyms)

Answers and sentences ours, checked against the Chinese Grammar Wiki and the top answers on Chinese Stack Exchange; meanings from our own dictionary; pinyin from our own reader.