adverb / adjective HSK 2
Traditional 剛
just (now) · barely · only just · hard · firm · strong
Meaning
刚 primarily means 'just now' or 'just recently' when used as an adverb, indicating that an action happened moments ago. As an adjective, it describes something hard, firm, or strong. The adverb usage is far more common in everyday speech.
Usage
刚 is extremely common in spoken Mandarin to talk about recent events. It typically appears before verbs to show an action just completed. Often paired with 刚才 (gāngcái) for 'just now' or 刚刚 (gānggāng) for emphasis. In formal writing, 刚 can mean 'firm' or 'upright', but this usage is less common in daily conversation.
Examples
- 01我刚到家。.I just got home.
- 02他刚离开，你来晚了。, .He just left, you came too late.
Common collocations
- 刚才just now
- 刚刚just now (emphatic)
- 刚好just right, happen to
- 刚开始just started
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 剛 shows the radical 刀 (knife) on the right, suggesting hardness or strength. The 'just now' temporal meaning is a later semantic extension.