刚 (gāng) — just (a short while ago; indicating an action happened moments before); (in 刚…就…) just when; as soon as
Definition
刚 (gāng) means 'just' for something that happened a moment ago, or 'just as / as soon as' in a 刚…就… pattern. Compare 刚刚 (more emphatic 'just now') and 就 (the 'then/as soon as' half of the pattern).
adverb
just (a short while ago; indicating an action happened moments before)(in 刚…就…) just whenas soon as
Examples
- 刚。Wǒ gāng dào jiā jiù lái diàn huà le.Just after I got home, the phone rang.
- 刚。Tā gāng xué huì kāi chē.He just learned how to drive.
- 刚，。Wǒ gāng dào gōng sī, jiù kāi huì le.I just arrived at the company, and then the meeting started.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 剛; 刚 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 剛 was made by combining a picture-like sign with a sign that gave its sound; the simplified 刚 is a later shorthand.
Grammar
Appears in
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