剛剛 gānggāng and 刚 gāng

Grammar Points:
The words “剛刚 gāng” and “剛剛刚刚 gānggāng” 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.

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.)

剛剛/刚刚 gānggāng

剛剛刚刚 gānggāng is much more flexible as it can function as both an adverb or a time noun, allowing for more freedom in its placement within a sentence. When use 剛剛刚刚 gānggāng implies a slightly longer duration of time and indicates that an action or event has occurred in the recent past or present, but not future.

However, the phrase ‘slightly longer duration of time’ is subjective, so it’s not necessary to distinguish between the two terms. If you always use 剛剛刚刚 gānggāng, you won’t be wrong.

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?

剛剛gānggāng你nǐ說shuō的de那nà句jù話huà是shì什麼shénme意思yìsi？ 刚刚gānggāng你nǐ说shuō的de那nà句jù话huà是shì什么shénme意思yìsi？
What did you mean by the sentence you just said?

我wǒ剛剛gānggāng沒méi說話shuōhuà我wǒ刚刚gānggāng没méi说话shuōhuà
I didn’t say anything just now.

剛剛gānggāng的de菜cài有點yǒudiǎn辣là， 可以kěyǐ給gěi我wǒ杯bēi水shuǐ嗎ma？ 刚刚gānggāng的de菜cài有点儿yǒudiǎnr辣là， 可以kěyǐ给gěi我wǒ杯bēi水shuǐ吗ma？
The dish from earlier was a bit spicy. Could you give me a glass of water?

Common Mistakes

你nǐ剛剛gānggāng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刚刚gānggāng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.
(Do not use it in future.)