Level 3 · Intermediate
Just now: 刚 vs 刚才
Subj. + 刚 + Verb / 刚才 + Sentence · Traditional: Subj. + 剛 + Verb / 剛才 + Sentence
Both talk about the recent past, but they're different kinds of words. 刚 (gāng) is an ADVERB — it glues to the verb and means "just did": 我刚到家 "I just got home".
刚才 (gāngcái) is a TIME NOUN like 昨天 — it means "a moment ago" and can start the sentence or stand on its own: 他刚才还在这里 "he was here just a moment ago". So 刚 must sit right before a verb, while 刚才 moves around like any time word and even works with negation: 我刚才没听见 "I didn't hear just now".
Examples
我刚到家，还没吃饭。
我剛到家，還沒吃飯。
wǒ gāng dào jiā hái méi chī fàn
I just got home — I haven't eaten yet.
他刚才还在这里，现在不在了。
他剛才還在這裡，現在不在了。
tā gāng cái hái zài zhè lǐ xiàn zài bù zài le
He was here just a moment ago; now he's gone.
我刚吃完饭。
我剛吃完飯。
wǒ gāng chī wán fàn
I just finished eating.
刚才谁给我打电话了？
剛才誰給我打電話了？
gāng cái shéi gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà le
Who called me just now?
Common mistakes
✗ 刚我到家。
✓ 我刚到家。
刚 is an adverb and must come right before the verb — only 刚才 can start a sentence.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: Finding a Way — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
