Only & Longer Than Expected – 才 cái

Grammar Point:
In Chinese, 才 cái is used to indicate that something is less than expected or insufficient, often reflecting the speaker’s surprise or dissatisfaction. It can also suggest that something happened later or more slowly than anticipated, similar to “not until” or “as late as” in English.

Structure

S + 才 cái + V + O

This structure indicates that something is less than expected or insufficient.

你nǐ去qù超市chāoshì去qù了le2 個ge小時xiǎoshí， 你nǐ才cái買mǎi了le一yì瓶píng水shuǐ嗎ma？ 你nǐ去qù超市chāoshì去qù了le2 个ge小时xiǎoshí， 你nǐ才cái买mǎi了le一yì瓶píng水shuǐ吗ma？
You spent two hours at the supermarket and only bought one bottle of water?

他tā住zhù在zài中國Zhōngguó10 年nián了le， 怎麼zěnme才cái會huì說shuō3 句jù中文zhōngwén他tā住zhù在zài中国Zhōngguó10 年nián了le， 怎么zěnme才cái会huì说shuō3 句jù中文zhōngwén
He has been living in China for 10 years, how can he only speak three sentences of Chinese?

今天jīntiān一整天yìzhěngtiān你nǐ才cái吃chī了le一yí個ge小xiǎo麵包miànbāo， 你nǐ在zài減肥jiǎnféi嗎ma？ 今天jīntiān一整天yìzhěngtiān你nǐ才cái吃chī了le一yí个ge小xiǎo面包miànbāo， 你nǐ在zài减肥jiǎnféi吗ma？
You only ate one small bread roll the entire day today, are you on a diet?

他tā才cái學xué中文zhōngwén2 個ge月yuè就jiù打算dǎsuàn考kǎoHSK5 ， 不是búshì天才tiāncái就是jiùshì白痴báichī他tā才cái学xué中文zhōngwén2 个ge月yuè就jiù打算dǎsuàn考kǎoHSK5 ， 不是búshì天才tiāncái就是jiùshì白痴báichī
He plans to take HSK 5 after only studying Chinese for two months. He’s either a genius or a fool.

他tā才cái來lái台灣Táiwān2 個ge星期xīngqí， 所以suǒyǐ很hěn多duō事shì都dōu還hái不bù習慣xíguàn他tā才cái来lái台湾Táiwān2 个ge星期xīngqī， 所以suǒyǐ很hěn多duō事儿shìr都dōu还hái不bù习惯xíguàn
He has only been in Taiwan for two weeks, so he’s still not used to a lot of things.

我wǒ才cái說shuō錯cuò一次yícì話huà， 你nǐ要yào記仇jìchóu多久duōjiǔ！ 我wǒ才cái说shuō错cuò一次yícì话huà， 你nǐ要yào记仇jìchóu多久duōjiǔ！
I only made one mistake in what I said, how long will you hold a grudge for?

才 cái + Number + Measure word + N

你nǐ才cái30 歲suì啊a， 我wǒ一直yìzhí記得jìdé你nǐ說shuō你nǐ40 ！ 你nǐ才cái30 岁suì啊a， 我wǒ一直yìzhí记得jìdé你nǐ说shuō你nǐ40 ！
You’re only 30 years old? I remember you saying you were 40!

你的nǐde薪水xīnshuǐ才cái1000 塊kuài美金měijīn！ 這樣zhèyàng夠gòu用yòng嗎ma？ 你的nǐde工资gōngzī才cái1000 块kuài美金měijīn！ 这样zhèyàng够gòu用yòng吗ma？
Your salary is only USD 1000! Is that enough for you?

才cái8 顆kē雞蛋jīdàn， 竟然jìngrán要yào5 塊kuài美金měijīn， 太tài坑人kēngrén了le！ 才cái8 颗kē鸡蛋jīdàn， 竟然jìngrán要yào5 块kuài美金měijīn， 太tài坑人kēngrén了le！
Only 8 eggs for 5 dollars? That’s such a rip-off!

FYI
坑人 kēngrén is a slang term used in Chinese to describe situations where someone has been misled or tricked. It’s a bit like saying “that’s not fair!” or “I got taken advantage of”. For example, if you were expecting a good deal on something but it turned out to be too expensive or of poor quality, you might say “这也太坑人了吧 zhè yě tài kēngrén le ba” which means “this is too much of a rip-off”. It’s a common way of expressing frustration or disappointment when things don’t go as expected.

才cái15 個ge人rén追蹤zhuīzōng你nǐ， 你的nǐdeYoutube 頻道píndào可能kěnéng要yào調整tiáozhěng方向fāngxiàng了le才cái15 个ge人rén追踪zhuīzōng你nǐ， 你的nǐdeYoutube 频道píndào可能kěnéng要yào调整tiáozhěng方向fāngxiàng了le
You only have 15 followers, maybe you need to adjust the direction of your YouTube channel.

S + Time word + 才 cái + V

This structure suggests that something happened later or more slowly than anticipated.

不好意思bùhǎoyìsi， 你們nǐmen先xiān吃chī吧ba！ 我wǒ大概dàgài八bā點diǎn才cái會huì到dào不好意思bùhǎoyìsi， 你们nǐmen先xiān吃chī吧ba！ 我wǒ大概dàgài八bā点diǎn才cái会huì到dào
Sorry, you go ahead and eat first! I probably won’t arrive until around 8 o’clock.

他tā明年míngnián才cái會huì來lái台灣Táiwān他tā明年míngnián才cái会huì来lái台湾Táiwān
He won’t come to Taiwan until next year.

現在xiànzài客人kèrén比較bǐjiào多duō， 餐點cāndiǎn要yào30 分鐘fēnzhōng才cái會huì好hǎo现在xiànzài客人kèrén比较bǐjiào多duō， 餐点cāndiǎn要yào30 分钟fēnzhōng才cái会huì好hǎo
There are many customers now, so it will take 30 minutes for the meal to be ready.

你nǐ怎麼zěnme28 歲suì才cái從cóng大學dàxué畢業bìyè？ 你nǐ怎么zěnme28 岁suì才cái从cóng大学dàxué毕业bìyè？
Why did you graduate from college at 28?
(People usually graduate from college at 22 to 24, so 28 is later than I expected.)

為什麼wèishénme現在xiànzài才cái告訴gàosù我wǒ今天jīntiān是shì你nǐ生日shēngrì为什么wèishénme现在xiànzài才cái告诉gàosu我wǒ今天jīntiān是shì你nǐ生日shēngrì
Why you hadn’t told me it’s your birthday till now?

我wǒ昨天zuótiān趕gǎn報告bàogào， 一直yìzhí到dào半夜bànyè3 點diǎn才cái睡shuì我wǒ昨天zuótiān赶gǎn报告bàogào， 一直yìzhí到dào半夜bànyè3 点diǎn才cái睡shuì
I was trying to catch upon the report yesterday, so didn’t sleep until 3 am.

Time words can be omitted when the context is clear to both the listener and the speaker.

你nǐ才cái來lái， 電影diànyǐng都dōu開始kāishǐ了le！ 你nǐ才cái来lái， 电影diànyǐng都dōu开始kāishǐ了le！
You’ve just arrived, and the movie has already started!

你nǐ怎麼zěnme才cái說shuō， 大家dàjiā剛剛gānggāng問wèn你nǐ時shí幹嘛gànmá不bù說shuō你nǐ怎么zěnme才cái说shuō， 大家dàjiā刚刚gānggāng问wèn你nǐ时shí干嘛gànmá不bù说shuō
Why did you only say it now? You were quiet when every

Other 才 cái related posts:

• 才 cái Chinese Grammar