Meaning of 刚刚
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- just recently
- just a moment ago
How to use 刚刚
刚刚 is an adverb that goes before the verb to say an action happened very recently. It often pairs with 才 or a time word for emphasis. Example: 我刚刚到家。(Wǒ gānggāng dào jiā.) I just got home.
刚 (gāng) has the knife radical 刂 on the right, so picture a knife that has only just cut something. Saying it twice, 刚刚 (gānggāng), stresses that it happened only a moment ago.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 刚刚 and 刚才 (gāngcái). 刚才 is a time noun and can go before the subject, as in 刚才你去哪儿了, but 刚刚 normally sits right before the verb. Also do not add 了 by reflex. 我刚刚吃饭 is fine, though 了 is often added in casual speech.
刚刚 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
刚 gāng · hard · 6 strokes
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刚 gāng · hard · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 刚刚.
Questions about 刚刚
What does 刚刚 mean?
刚刚 (gānggāng) means "just recently; just a moment ago" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 刚刚?
刚刚 is made of 2 characters: 刚 (6 strokes), 刚 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 刚刚 an HSK word?
Yes. 刚刚 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 刚刚 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 刚刚 is written 剛剛.
Can 刚刚 mean "exactly" or "just enough"?
Yes, in some contexts 刚刚 can mean "just barely" or "exactly," as in 刚刚好 (gānggāng hǎo), just right. For the meaning "exactly," 刚好 (gānghǎo) is the more common word.
Is 刚刚 the same as a single 刚?
They mean almost the same thing and both go before the verb. 刚刚 sounds a little more emphatic and conversational, while 刚 is shorter and very common in both speech and writing.