<p>才 has multiple uses. It can be used to indicate &quot;unexpected delay or late in arrival&quot;, such as &quot;你怎麼<strong>才</strong>來呢？&quot; - &quot;How come you come/arrive <strong>so</strong> late?&quot; When used with 是(is, am, are), it emphasizes one's own argument against the other's argument with certainty, for example:</p>
<ul>
<li>我不是賊, 你<strong>才</strong>是. - I am not a thief, you <strong>certainly/indeed</strong> are (a thief).</li>
</ul>
<p>Same to 才, 就 has many uses. It can be used to indicate something &quot;turned... earlier&quot; without noticing, or simply &quot;already&quot;, such as &quot;他<strong>早就</strong>長大了&quot; - &quot;He has grown up <strong>already</strong>&quot;, which really means &quot;He has turned into a man in earlier days without your noticing.&quot;</p>
<p>When used with 是, it can mean &quot;only/merely&quot;,</p>
<ul>
<li>大家都来了,<strong>就是</strong>小林还没有来 - Everybody has came already, <strong>only</strong> 小林 has not yet arrived.</li>
</ul>
<p>or mean &quot;even if&quot;,</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>就是</strong>下雨,我们也要开工 - <strong>Even if</strong> it is raining, we will start working anyway.</li>
</ul>
<p>and as a conjunction - &quot;either ... or&quot;</p>
<ul>
<li>这几天,不是刮风,<strong>就是</strong>下雨 - These few days, <strong>either</strong> windy <strong>or</strong> rainy.</li>
</ul>
<p>Let's compare <strong>才是</strong> and <strong>就是</strong> using previous example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A: 你是賊. (A simple accusation/argument.)</p>
</li>
<li><p>B: 我不是賊, 你<strong>才是</strong>. (才 emphasis own accusation/argument in hit back.)</p>
</li>
<li><p>A: 你<strong>就是</strong>賊. (就 supports the original accusation/argument with emphasis.)</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-27T20:14:01.190Z
2023-01-27T20:14:01.190Z
r13
<p>I assume you are talking about them being used to describe the sequence of events-- both terms have many many unrelated uses and are very complicated characters.  If you clarify these types of questions a bit more it will avoid possible confusion, and it will help  make sure you get better answers :)</p>
<p>if in doubt including example sentences for grammar/vocab use questions is always best-- context is king in chinese.</p>
<hr />
<p>At the basics the two are opposites, early vs late.  However chinese isn't ever that firmly set in stone.  Here is an article from allset learning chinese wiki, a great source for basic grammar questions if you haven't seen it before:</p>
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22</a></p>
<p>This should help get an idea of the common use for sequence of events with these terms.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-27T19:20:31.947Z
2023-01-27T19:20:31.947Z
zagrycha
<p>茶馆文化才是最具成都特色的休闲方式。 Visiting the tea house is a really special leisure time activity in Chengdu. The word 才 is an adverb, in this sentence meaning “really” or “very.”
就是 just
就是因为我喜欢他
just because I like him</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T08:17:49.603Z
2023-02-06T08:17:49.603Z
Shui Xian
<p>let me try, most of the time...
才:indeed
就：merely</p>
<p>才是: is..., indeed.
就是：is..., merely.</p>
<p>我才是我， i am myself, indeed.
我就是我， i am myself, merely.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-27T14:49:27.413Z
2023-01-27T14:49:27.413Z
pinky
<p>I know one stands for &quot;slow than expected&quot; and the other for turnover &quot;earlier&quot;. In some cases, I cannot explain to myself their position in sentences. Can you explain to me in more detail the meaning of ? And the difference between 才是，就是</p>

<meaning><difference>
What's the difference between 才 and 就？
# What's the difference between 才 and 就？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-27)

I know one stands for "slow than expected" and the other for turnover "earlier". In some cases, I cannot explain to myself their position in sentences. Can you explain to me in more detail the meaning of ? And the difference between 才是，就是

**Tags:** meaning, difference


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-27. Score: 1

才 has multiple uses. It can be used to indicate "unexpected delay or late in arrival", such as "你怎麼**才**來呢？" - "How come you come/arrive **so** late?" When used with 是(is, am, are), it emphasizes one's own argument against the other's argument with certainty, for example:

* 我不是賊, 你**才**是. - I am not a thief, you **certainly/indeed** are (a thief).

Same to 才, 就 has many uses. It can be used to indicate something "turned... earlier" without noticing, or simply "already", such as "他**早就**長大了" - "He has grown up **already**", which really means "He has turned into a man in earlier days without your noticing."

When used with 是, it can mean "only/merely",

* 大家都来了,**就是**小林还没有来 - Everybody has came already, **only** 小林 has not yet arrived.

or mean "even if",

* **就是**下雨,我们也要开工 - **Even if** it is raining, we will start working anyway.

and as a conjunction - "either ... or"

* 这几天,不是刮风,**就是**下雨 - These few days, **either** windy **or** rainy.

Let's compare **才是** and **就是** using previous example:

* A: 你是賊. (A simple accusation/argument.)
* B: 我不是賊, 你**才是**. (才 emphasis own accusation/argument in hit back.)
* A: 你**就是**賊. (就 supports the original accusation/argument with emphasis.)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-01-27. Score: 1

I assume you are talking about them being used to describe the sequence of events-- both terms have many many unrelated uses and are very complicated characters. If you clarify these types of questions a bit more it will avoid possible confusion, and it will help make sure you get better answers :)

if in doubt including example sentences for grammar/vocab use questions is always best-- context is king in chinese.

---

At the basics the two are opposites, early vs late. However chinese isn't ever that firmly set in stone. Here is an article from allset learning chinese wiki, a great source for basic grammar questions if you haven't seen it before:

<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22cai%22_and_%22jiu%22>

This should help get an idea of the common use for sequence of events with these terms.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2023-02-06. Score: 0

茶馆文化才是最具成都特色的休闲方式。 Visiting the tea house is a really special leisure time activity in Chengdu. The word 才 is an adverb, in this sentence meaning “really” or “very.”
就是 just
就是因为我喜欢他
just because I like him


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2023-01-27. Score: -2

let me try, most of the time...
才:indeed
就：merely

才是: is..., indeed.
就是：is..., merely.

我才是我， i am myself, indeed.
我就是我， i am myself, merely.


---

