才 cái — only then, not until (later or harder than expected)
only then, not until (later or harder than expected)
Meanings
only then, not until (later or harder than expected)
Marks the speaker’s judgement that something happened late, slowly or only after trouble. It sits directly before the verb and carries no tense of its own: 他八点才来 — he did not turn up until eight. Its mirror image is 就, which says the opposite.
adverbA 才 clause takes no 了. 了 announces a completed change, and 才 is already busy saying that the thing has barely happened; the two pull against each other, so 他八点才来了 is wrong.
only, merely (a quantity smaller than expected)
adverbonly if … then (in the pattern 只有…才…)
adverb
Example sentences
- 他昨天晚上十二点才睡觉。他昨天晚上十二點才睡覺。Tā (first tone, high and level) zuótiān (second tone, rising) wǎnshang (third tone, dipping) shí (second tone, rising) èr (fourth tone, falling) diǎn (third tone, dipping) cái (second tone, rising) shuìjiào. (fourth tone, falling)···
He didn’t go to bed until twelve last night.
- 这个孩子才五岁。這個孩子才五歲。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) háizi (second tone, rising) cái (second tone, rising) wǔ (third tone, dipping) suì. (fourth tone, falling)···
This child is only five.
Common mistakes
Not quite我等了一个小时，他就来。
Correct我等了一个小时，他才来。
就 and 才 are a matched pair of judgements. 就 says "sooner or more easily than you would think" — 我七点就来了. 才 says "later or with more trouble" — 他十点才来. After an hour of waiting, only 才 fits.
Not quite他八点才来了。
Correct他八点才来。
A sentence with 才 does not take 了 at the end. 才 is already telling you the event only just happened; 了, which reports a completed change, contradicts it.