刚才 gāng cái
“just now; a moment ago”
time wordHSK 3 · 2021 list level 2Traditional 剛才
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
刚才 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 642: 刚才 gāngcái — Level 3; official annotation 3 (名). PDF page 96
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 刚才
刚才 means “just now” or “a moment ago,” referring to a short time before the present. It is a time word that can come at the start of a sentence or after the subject, before the verb. It is used for recent past events and often appears with 了.
例句Example sentences
- 刚才你去哪儿了？gāng cái nǐ qù nǎr le?Where did you go just now?
- 我刚才看见王老师了。wǒ gāng cái kàn jiàn wáng lǎo shī le.I saw Teacher Wang just now.
- 他刚才还在，现在走了。tā gāng cái hái zài, xiàn zài zǒu le.He was here just now, but now he has left.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我在刚才看见他。
✓我刚才看见他。
刚才 is a time word and is not used after 在; it goes before the verb or at the start of the sentence.
易混词Easily confused
刚才vs刚
刚 is an adverb meaning “just/recently” and goes directly before a verb; 刚才 is a time noun meaning “just now” and can start a sentence or follow the subject.
深度指南Grammar & comparison guides
义项All meanings
- gāng cái: just now; a moment ago
- gāng cái: just now (variant of 刚才)