刚才 (gāng cái) — just now in Mandarin
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#1406 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
刚才 is pronounced gāng cái. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Gāng cái yǒu rén dǎ diàn huà gěi wǒ.
Someone called me just now.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 刚才 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 刚才 mean?+
刚才 (gāng cái) means "just now" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 刚才?+
刚才 is pronounced gāng cái. It uses the tone 1 (high flat), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 刚才 in Mandarin?+
刚才 is the #1406 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 刚才 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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