刚刚 or 刚才

Both 刚刚 (gāng gāng) and 刚才 (gāng cái) are used to express “just now” or “a moment ago” in Chinese. However, 刚刚 and 刚才 are used in slightly different contexts.

刚刚 (gāng gāng) is typically used to refer to a very recent event, usually within a few seconds or minutes ago. For example, you might say 刚刚我看到一只小狗 (gāng gāng wǒ kàn dào yī zhī xiǎo gǒu), which means “I just saw a little dog.” In this case, 刚刚 emphasizes the immediacy of the action.

On the other hand, 刚才 (gāng cái) is used to refer to a slightly more distant past, usually within the past hour or so. For example, you might say 刚才我看了一部电影 (gāng cái wǒ kàn le yī bù diàn yǐng), which means “I just watched a movie.” In this case, 刚才 suggests that the action occurred a little while ago but is still recent enough to be relevant to the current conversation.

In summary, 刚刚 is used to refer to a very recent event, while 刚才 is used to refer to a slightly more distant past. However, the distinction between these two terms can be subjective and context-dependent.

刚刚 (gāng gāng):

1. 刚刚下起了大雨。(Gāng gāng xià qǐ le dà yǔ.) – It just started raining heavily a moment ago.
2. 我刚刚吃完晚饭。(Wǒ gāng gāng chī wán wǎn fàn.) – I just finished dinner a moment ago.
3. 刚刚看到一只小猫咪。(Gāng gāng kàn dào yī zhī xiǎo māo mī.) – I just saw a little kitten a moment ago.
4. 刚刚收到了老板的邮件。(Gāng gāng shōu dào le lǎo bǎn de yóu jiàn.) – I just received an email from my boss a moment ago.
5. 刚刚有一位客人来访。(Gāng gāng yǒu yī wèi kè rén lái fǎng.) – A guest just came to visit a moment ago.

刚才 (gāng cái):

1. 刚才在超市买了些水果。(Gāng cái zài chāo shì mǎi le xiē shuǐ guǒ.) – I just bought some fruits at the supermarket a little while ago.
2. 我刚才跟你打电话了。(Wǒ gāng cái gēn nǐ dǎ diàn huà le.) – I just called you a little while ago.
3. 刚才在路上看到了一位老朋友。(Gāng cái zài lù shàng kàn dào le yī wèi lǎo péng yǒu.) – I just saw an old friend on the road a little while ago.
4. 刚才听到外面下雨声了。(Gāng cái tīng dào wài miàn xià yǔ shēng le.) – I just heard the sound of rain outside a little while ago.
5. 我刚才在公园里散步了一会儿。(Wǒ gāng cái zài gōng yuán lǐ sàn bù le yī huìr.) – I just took a walk in the park a little while ago.