Lateness with 才 (cái) An English guide to Lateness with 才 (cái), with structures, examples, and practical usage notes.
1 min read · 97 words · Published Sep 22, 2026
Overview
This English reference introduces “Lateness with 才 (cái)” and focuses on the information most useful when reading Chinese.
Structure
subject + time + 才 + verb
Examples
This section collects practical observations for recognizing the pattern in context.
飞 fēi 机 jī 十 shí 二 èr 点 diǎn 起 qǐ 飞 fēi ， 但 dàn 是 shì 我 wǒ 们 men 十 shí 一 yī 点 diǎn 才 cái 到 dào 机 jī 场 chǎng 。
Our flight was at 12 o’clock, but we didn’t get to the airport until 11 o’clock.
他 tā 每 měi 天 tiān 睡 shuì 到 dào 中 zhōng 午 wǔ 才 cái 起 qǐ 床 chuáng 。
He doesn’t get up until noon every day.
找 了 2 0 分 钟 ， 他 才 找 到 手 机 。
It took him 20 minutes to find his cell phone.
我 问 了 他 5 次 ， 他 才 告 诉 我 。
I asked him five times before he told me.
Common mistakes
才 is not used with 了
Use this note to compare the pattern with the surrounding words while reading.
Usage notes
Using 就 and 才 to talk about past events
Use this note to compare the pattern with the surrounding words while reading.
小 明 ： 我 今 天 1 0 点 就 起 床 了 。
Little Ming: I got up at 10 o’clock today.
爷 爷 ： 什 么 ？ 你 今 天 1 0 点 才 起 床 ！
Grandpa: What? You didn’t get up until 10 o’clock today!
小 xiǎo 明 míng 花 huā 了 le 三 sān 个 ge 月 yuè 就 jiù 学 xué 会 huì 游 yóu 泳 yǒng 。
Little Ming learned how to swim in just three months.
小 xiǎo 明 míng 花 huā 了 le 三 sān 年 nián 才 cái 学 xué 会 huì 游 yóu 泳 yǒng 。
It took Little Ming three years to learn how to swim.
Related grammar points
