Decoded Slug: 才 (cái) - Only just, not until
Mandarin Grammar Point
才 (cái) - Only just, not until
才 (cái) - Only just, not until
Short explanation:
Used to emphasize that something happened later than expected or desired.
Formation:
Time Word + 才 + Verb
Examples:
我下班以后才有时间做饭。
Wǒ xiàbān yǐhòu cái yǒu shíjiān zuò fàn.
I only have time to cook after work.
她十点钟才起床。
Tā shí diǎn zhōng cái qǐchuáng.
She didn't get up until ten o'clock.
他完成作业后才可以出去玩。
Tā wánchéng zuòyè hòu cái kěyǐ chūqù wán.
He can only go out to play after he finished his homework.
我等了一个小时车才来。
Wǒ děngle yīgè xiǎoshí chē cái lái.
I waited for an hour before the bus came.
Long explanation:
The Mandarin Chinese term '才 (cái)' is a commonly used expression indicating that an action or event has occurred later than one would typically expect or want. It implies a sense of lateness or delay and is equivalent to the English expressions 'only just' or 'not until'. It is usually used in the context of activities that have completed, actions that were accomplished later than desired, or conditions that were not met until a particular requirement was fulfilled.
