HSK 3
V1 就 V2
V1 jiù V2
V2 as soon as V1
Structure
Subject + V1 + 就 + V2
How it works
This structure is used to indicate that one action (V2) happens immediately after another action (V1) is completed. It expresses a quick succession of events or a conditional relationship where the second action is a natural consequence of the first.
Examples
我到家就给你打电话。
Wǒ dào jiā jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
I will call you as soon as I get home.
他吃完饭就去睡觉了。
Tā chī wán fàn jiù qù shuìjiào le.
He went to sleep as soon as he finished eating.
老师一进教室，学生们就不说话了。
Lǎoshī yī jìn jiàoshì, xuéshēngmen jiù bù shuōhuà le.
As soon as the teacher entered the classroom, the students stopped talking.
Common mistakes
Placing '就' before the first verb instead of the second one, or omitting the subject in the second clause if the subjects are different.
Tip
To emphasize that two actions happen very quickly, you can add '一' (yī) before the first verb: '一 V1 就 V2'.
More HSK 3 grammar
See V1 就 V2 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