Conjunctive: 就、才
就、才 are two adverbs very commonly used in spoken and written Chinese. They are part of the core grammar of Chinese. Mastering them will equip you with the tools for expressing nuanced meanings and building complex sentence structures. More importantly, you will be able to build discourse beyond the sentence-level. In this module, you will:
Start with the "Learn" section where you study the various functions and sentence patterns of 就、才. Most of the examples used to illustrate these functions are adapted from natural sources (real usages by speakers of Chinese).
Continue with the "Practice" section where you will develop/check your skills based on exercises. You do this by following a narrated presentation with abundant natural examples.
End with the "Self-Check" section where you check your skills by taking quiz-like exercises and see your score right away.
If you find that some of the vocabulary items in this Module are new to you, take a look at the "Vocabulary Support" section. We developed a flashcard set hosted on Quizlet.com that will help you to familiarize yourself with the Chinese words you will encounter in the examples and exercises.
Learn
How 就、才 compare and contrast with each other; how they build extended discourse; multi-word patterns; Colloquial style vs. literary style
Practice
From sentence-level to discourse, from interaction to speech acts, from speaking to reading and writing.
Self-Check
Quiz-like exercises with instant feedback.
Vocabulary Support
A flashcard set at Quizlet.com to help you learn any new vocabulary in the examples of this Module.
Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER), The Pennsylvania State University