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刚刚 (gāng gāng) — just now, a moment ago

Definition

Adverb meaning 'just now / a moment ago', placed before the verb. Unlike 刚才 (noun), 刚刚 modifies the action directly. 同 刚 with no meaning difference; 刚刚 is the more colloquial spoken form.

adverb
just nowa moment ago

Examples

  • 刚刚。
    Wǒ gāng gāng kàn dào tā le.
    I just saw him.
  • 刚刚。
    Tā men gāng gāng kāi shǐ shàng kè.
    They just started class.
  • 刚刚？
    Nǐ gāng gāng cóng nǎ r huí lái?
    Where did you just come back from?

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

刚gāngjust
刚gāngjust

「刚」 means just, and saying it twice gives a very recent moment.

Characters in this word

Most 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.

Open 刚 →

Most 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.

Open 刚 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 41000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsTime (Abstract)2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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