HSK 2
TIME 就 V
TIME jiù V
V as early as TIME
Structure
Subject + Time + 就 + Verb + (了)
How it works
The adverb '就' (jiù) is used before a verb to indicate that an action happened earlier, quicker, or more smoothly than expected. It emphasizes the speaker's perception of timeliness or promptness.
Examples
我每天五点就起床了。
Wǒ měitiān wǔ diǎn jiù qǐchuáng le.
I get up as early as 5 o'clock every day.
他去年就学汉语了。
Tā qùnián jiù xué Hànyǔ le.
He started learning Chinese as early as last year.
电影八点才开始，他七点就到了。
Diànyǐng bā diǎn cái kāishǐ, tā qī diǎn jiù dào le.
The movie starts at 8, but he arrived as early as 7.
Common mistakes
Placement of the time word: Users often incorrectly place '就' before the time (e.g., '就五点我起床' is wrong; it must be '五点就').
Tip
Think of '就' as 'already' or 'as early as' to show that the action occurred before the expected time.
More HSK 2 grammar
See TIME 就 V in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free