How to use the adverb 就 (jiù) to express emphasis in Mandarin Chinese?

The adverb 就 (jiù) is used to express emphasis and has several translations: really, exactly, precisely, only are just a few of them.Next time you’re chatting with a friend, see how long you speak before the words “just” or “really” are spoken. Probably it won’t be more than a minute. In Mandarin Chinese, the equivalent character 就 (jiù) is just as common. Fortunately, it’s really easy to use and you will use it a lot in daily Mandarin. If you want to speak like a pro, here you go! Let’s take a look!

The adverb 就 (jiù) is used before the verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to emphasize the part of the sentenceNo definition set for sentenceLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that follows the verb. When spoken, 就 (jiù) is stressedl. Here is the sentence pattern:

Please note that the adverb 就 (jiù) can be omitted in the sentences above in the same way that you can omit “really” from the sentence “I really don’t want to watch a movie.” If 就 (jiù) is omitted, these sentences lose the emphasis expressed by “really/exactly/precisely.”

Let’s look at more examples:

The adverb 就 (jiù) is used with a time phrase (usually referring to a short period of time) before the verb to emphasize that the action will happen or take place in the stated time frame. It carries the meaning of “immediately / at once.” The sentence pattern is:

The adverbNo definition set for adverbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. 就 (jiù) is used before a verb to emphasize the meaning of “only” (只 (zhǐ)). In this sentence pattern, 就 (jiù) is interchangeable with 只 (zhǐ, only). A numeral-measure phrase (number + measure word + noun) always follows. The sentence pattern is:

The adverb 就 (jiù) can also be used for emphasis in fixed sentence patterns to mean “be about to” and “so be it/that’s it.” Let’s take a look.

Complex sentences are sentences that have a dependent and an independent clause. For example: “If it rains, we won’t go to the park.” The first clause (“if it rains”) is the dependent clause, because it is not a complete thought by itself, i.e. if it rains, what? This dependent clause depends on the independent clause (“we won’t go to the park”) to function in the sentence.

Consider complex sentences beginning with these dependent clauses:

• As long as you’re going to the grocery store,

• If you’re bored,

• In order to get there on time,

• Since you think you’re so tough,

You can surely imagine how each of these sentences might conclude. In Mandarin Chinese, the independent clause that would conclude these sentences would contain the adverb 就 (jiù). Its function in the sentence is to emphasize the action that satisfies the condition or purpose named in the first clause.

This kind of clause always begins with words like 如果 (rúguǒ, if), 只要 (zhǐyào, as long as), 既然 (jìrán, since), or 为了 (wèi le, in order to) in the first clause. Let's look at the full sentence pattern:

In this post we discussed how 就 (jiù) is used:

• to mean “really,” “exactly,” “precisely,” and other words that add emphasis

• to make time more precise

• to mean “only”

• to express “be about to”

• to emphasize that nothing can be done (that’s that)

• with complex condition or purpose sentences

“就” 就是个很有用的字! (jiù jiù shì ge hěn yǒu yòng de zi, 就 (jiù) is a really usefful character!), and it's really easy to use, so learn it!

就这样吧! (jiù zhèyàng ba, That's all!) Don’t forget to try these exercises to practice your understanding of the adverb 就 (jiù).