就 jiù

“(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 是) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly”

adverb, preposition, conjunction, verbHSK 2 · 2021 list level 1

新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level

就 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.

Entry 376: 就 jiù — Level 2; official annotation 2（7-9） (副、（介）). PDF page 89

Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.

用法How to use 就

就 is used in the second part of a conditional sentence to mean "then" or "in that case." The usual pattern is 如果/要是……，subject + 就 + verb……, linking the result to the condition.

例句Example sentences

如果明天下雨，我们就在家看书。rú guǒ míng tiān xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù zài jiā kàn shū.If it rains tomorrow, then we will read at home.
你打电话告诉他，他就知道了。nǐ dǎ diàn huà gào su tā, tā jiù zhī dao le.If you call and tell him, then he will know.

常见错误Common mistakes

✗如果下雨，就我们不去公园。

✓如果下雨，我们就不去公园。

In this pattern, 就 comes after the subject of the result clause, not before it.

易混词Easily confused

就vs才

就 introduces the result after a condition; 才 often stresses that the result happens late or only under a strict condition.