HSK 3
刚 V
gāng V
just V
Structure
Subject + 刚 + Verb / Verb Phrase
How it works
The adverb '刚' (gāng) is used before a verb to indicate that an action took place a very short time ago. It focuses on the timing of the action and does not require '了' at the end of the sentence because it describes the recent past rather than a completed change of state.
Examples
我刚到家。
Wǒ gāng dào jiā.
I just arrived home.
爸爸刚走。
Bàba gāng zǒu.
Dad just left.
我刚喝了一杯咖啡。
Wǒ gāng hē le yì bēi kāfēi.
I just drank a cup of coffee.
Common mistakes
Do not place '刚' after the verb; it must always appear before the verb it modifies.
Tip
Unlike '刚才' (gāngcái), which is a noun and can stand alone at the beginning of a sentence, '刚' is an adverb and must stay right before the verb.
More HSK 3 grammar
See 刚 V in real Chinese
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