就 (jiù) · then, just, precisely

Meanings

1 then
2 just
3 precisely
4 as soon as

Characters

就

jiù

then; at once; just

Examples

HSK 1

我吃了饭就去。

Wǒ chī le fàn jiù qù.

I'll go as soon as I finish eating.

HSK 1

他就是我的老师。

Tā jiù shì wǒ de lǎoshī.

He is precisely my teacher.

HSK 1

我们五点就到了。

Wǒmen wǔ diǎn jiù dào le.

We arrived as early as five o'clock.

Tips

grammar

就 is one of the most versatile Chinese words. Its core meaning is 'close/soon/right away,' and from that it gets meanings like 'then,' 'just,' 'precisely,' and 'as early as.'

mistakes

就 and 才 are opposites: 就 implies something happened sooner than expected, while 才 implies it happened later than expected.

Components

radical

尤 yóu

outstanding; especially

Right side 尤 - the indexing radical (filed under Kangxi #43 尢, the lame-leg radical, of which 尤 is a stylised four-stroke form). Originally 尤 depicted a hand with an extra mark, meaning 'extraordinary, more than expected.' In 就 it adds the sense of going further - fitting 'accomplish, on top of that.'

semantic

京 jīng

capital; tall building

Left side 京 - pictograph of a tall building on a hill, the capital city. In 就 it supplies 'arriving at a high place.' The original meaning of 就 was 'to move to a tall site, take up residence' - from there came 'approach, accomplish, then.' Same 京 in 凉 cool, 谅 forgive, 影 shadow.