Synonym of Just in Chinese

Grammar Point:
The words “剛刚 gāng”, “剛刚剛刚 gānggāng” and “剛刚才 gāngcái” are used to indicate an action that has just happened a short while ago. However, there are some subtle differences in their meanings and usage:

剛刚 gāng

It is an adverb that can only be used before a verb or adjctive and after a subject. It emphasizes that an action has just happened or that something is just about to happen, and it is the longest period of time among the three “just” expressions.

The funny thing is “剛刚 gāng” can be used to indicate an event that occurred in the past, present, or even future. Therefore, the concept is more focused on the time frame, specifically a short period of time, rather than the tense.

• Past:
  他tā昨天zuótiān剛gāng到dào北京běijīng他tā昨天zuótiān刚gāng到dào北京běijīng
  He just arrived in Beijing yesterday.

• Present:
  我wǒ剛gāng出門chūmén我wǒ刚gāng出门chūmén
  I just went out.

• Future:
  你nǐ剛gāng到dào學校xuéxiào的時候deshíhòu一定yídìng要yào跟gēn老師lǎoshī打招呼dǎzhāohū你nǐ刚gāng到dào学校xuéxiào的时候deshíhou一定yídìng要yào跟gēn老师lǎoshī打招呼dǎzhāohu
  You must say hello to the teacher when you just (first) arrive at school.

你nǐ剛gāng去qù見jiàn誰shéi？ 你nǐ刚gāng去qù见jiàn谁shéi？
Who did you just go see?

天tiān剛gāng晴qíng天tiān刚gāng晴qíng
The weather just cleared up.

我wǒ剛gāng買mǎi了le新xīn手機shǒujī我wǒ刚gāng买mǎi了le新xīn手机shǒujī
I just bought a new cellphone.

她的tāde狗gǒu剛gāng死sǐ， 現在xiànzài她tā沒méi心情xīnqíng去qù夜店yèdiàn她的tāde狗gǒu刚gāng死sǐ， 现在xiànzài她tā没méi心情xīnqíng去qù夜店yèdiàn
Her dog just died, so she’s not in the mood to go to the nightclub now.

他tā剛gāng走zǒu了le三sān天tiān他tā刚gāng走zǒu了le三sān天tiān
He left only three days ago.

Common Mistakes

剛gāng我wǒ在zài咖啡店kāfēidiàn買mǎi咖啡kāfēi刚gāng我wǒ在zài咖啡店kāfēidiàn买mǎi咖啡kāfēi ❌
I bought coffee at the cafe just now.
(An adverb need to be placed after the subject.)

剛gāng的de咖啡kāfēi加jiā了le糖táng嗎ma？ 刚gāng的de咖啡kāfēi加jiā了le糖táng吗ma？ ❌
The coffee we had earlier had sugar in it?
(An adverb can not place in front of 的 de)

我wǒ剛gāng沒méi喝hē咖啡kāfēi我wǒ刚gāng没méi喝hē咖啡kāfēi ❌
I didn’t drink coffee just now.
(There is no negation for 剛 gāng in Mandarin Chinese. Buuut some Taiwanese do say it.😅)

我wǒ剛gāng吃chī飽bǎo了le我wǒ刚gāng吃chī饱bǎo了le ❌
I just finished eating.
(Since 刚 gāng is used to describe an action that has just happened in a short period of time, its meaning is in contrast to the particle 了₂ le, which indicates a change of state. Therefore, it is not necessary to use 了₂ le with 刚 gāng.)

剛刚才 gāngcái

It is a time word (noun) that can be placed either before or after the subject. 剛刚才 gāngcái refers to something that happened a very short time ago, typically within the last few minutes or seconds, so the time elapsed is relatively shorter than 剛刚 gāng. Since it is a time word (noun), do not place it before an adjective.

剛才gāngcái有yǒu你的nǐde電話diànhuà， 可是kěshì你nǐ不在búzài刚才gāngcái有yǒu你的nǐde电话diànhuà， 可是kěshì你nǐ不在búzài
I had a call from you just now, but you weren’t there.

我wǒ剛才gāngcái吃chī飽bǎo了le我wǒ刚才gāngcái吃chī饱bǎo了le
I just finished eating.

我wǒ剛才gāngcái買mǎi了le冰淇淋bīngqílín， 快kuài來lái吃chī！ 我wǒ刚才gāngcái买mǎi了le冰激淋bīngjīlín， 快kuài来lái吃chī！
I bought ice cream just now, come and have some!

剛才gāngcái你nǐ去qù哪裡nǎlǐ了le？ 刚才gāngcái你nǐ去qù哪儿nǎr了le？
Where did you go just now?

剛才gāngcái的de咖啡kāfēi加jiā了le糖táng嗎ma？ 刚才gāngcái的de咖啡kāfēi加jiā了le糖táng吗ma？
The coffee we had earlier had sugar in it?

你nǐ剛才gāngcái為什麼wèishénme不bù說shuō？ 你nǐ刚才gāngcái为什么wèishénme不bù说shuō？
Why didn’t you say anything in a moment ago?

我wǒ剛才gāngcái沒méi喝hē咖啡kāfēi我wǒ刚才gāngcái没méi喝hē咖啡kāfēi
I didn’t drink coffee just now.

Common Mistakes

天tiān剛才gāngcái晴qíng天tiān刚才gāngcái晴qíng ❌
The weather just cleared up.
(A noun can not modify an adjective)

他tā剛才gāngcái走zǒu了le三sān天tiān他tā刚才gāngcái走zǒu了le三sān天tiān ❌
He left only three days ago.
(剛才/刚才 gāngcái can not be followed by the duration of time.)

剛刚剛刚 gānggāng

Headache right? The good news is 剛刚剛刚 gānggāng can be used to express both 剛刚 gāng and 剛刚才gāngcái. In case if you don’t know whether to use 剛刚 gāng or 剛刚才 gāngcái., you can always use 剛刚剛刚 gānggāng instead.

他tā剛剛gānggāng決定juédìng放棄fàngqì學xué中文zhōngwén了le他tā刚刚gānggāng决定juédìng放弃fàngqì学xué中文zhōngwén了le
He just decided to give up learning Chinese.

你nǐ不是búshì剛剛gānggāng到dào中國Zhōngguó， 為什麼wèishénme到dào現在xiànzài一個yíge朋友péngyǒu也yě沒有méiyǒu你nǐ不是búshì刚刚gānggāng到dào中国Zhōngguó， 为什么wèishénme到dào现在xiànzài一个yíge朋友péngyou也yě没有méiyǒu
You didn’t just arrive in China. Why haven’t you made any friends yet?

你nǐ剛剛gānggāng說shuō的de話huà有點yǒudiǎn過分guòfēn你nǐ刚刚gānggāng说shuō的de话huà有点儿yǒudiǎnr过分guòfēn
What you just said was a bit cross the line.

FYI
過过分 guòfèn is a Chinese slang term that means “excessive” or “over the top.” It is often used to describe someone’s behavior, speech, or actions that are beyond what is considered reasonable or appropriate. For example, if someone says something that is too harsh or critical, another person might say “你的話有點過分你的话有点过分 nǐde huà yǒudiǎn guòfèn” meaning “what you said was a bit excessive.” The term 過过分 guòfèn can also be used to describe something that is too much or too extreme, such as a price that is too high or an action that is too risky.