就
jiù
- Pinyin
- jiù
- Pinyin (Plain)
- jiu
- Tone
- 4
- Strokes
- 12
- Radical
- 尢
- Readings
- jiùjiuTone: 4(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precisely; exactly; only; as little as; as much as; as many as; to approach; to move towards; to undertake; to engage in; (often followed by 著|着[zhe5]) taking advantage of; (of food) to go with; with regard to; concerning; (pattern: 就[jiu4] ... 也[ye3] ...) even if ... still ...; (pattern: 不[bu4] ... 就[jiu4] ...) if not ... then must be ...Order: 0Primary
- Stroke Order Code
- Speed
- Stroke Order Data
- ["M 296 754 Q 336 706 377 685 Q 393 682 403 697 Q 409 710 406 728 Q 394 771 309 796 Q 291 800 281 797 Q 274 796 277 782 Q 278 769 296 754 Z", "M 89 580 Q 77 579 74 572 Q 71 562 85 551 Q 121 524 161 535 Q 320 583 485 601 Q 500 602 501 610 Q 502 622 486 631 Q 461 643 439 638 Q 198 590 89 580 Z", "M 211 480 Q 201 484 174 487 Q 164 488 160 484 Q 156 478 164 464 Q 189 421 210 349 Q 214 327 229 313 Q 245 295 250 309 Q 251 316 251 326 L 247 354 Q 232 429 226 454 C 221 477 221 477 211 480 Z", "M 409 380 Q 428 446 449 465 Q 471 487 449 502 Q 431 512 407 529 Q 389 539 371 530 Q 323 500 211 480 C 181 475 198 444 226 454 Q 259 466 338 483 Q 369 490 378 479 Q 382 475 362 384 C 356 355 400 351 409 380 Z", "M 337 341 Q 370 348 419 353 Q 428 354 429 362 Q 429 368 409 380 L 362 384 L 361 384 Q 297 366 247 354 C 218 347 221 327 251 326 Q 257 325 265 327 Q 278 331 295 333 L 337 341 Z", "M 265 137 Q 252 140 235 143 Q 225 146 225 140 Q 225 133 234 125 Q 277 85 304 50 Q 314 43 326 55 Q 362 103 357 215 Q 356 254 358 291 Q 364 313 359 323 Q 353 330 337 341 C 313 359 285 361 295 333 Q 304 324 308 171 Q 307 144 297 135 Q 288 129 265 137 Z", "M 158 260 Q 139 217 113 177 Q 106 168 105 154 Q 104 132 110 119 Q 117 104 135 115 Q 180 146 180 209 Q 184 237 179 260 Q 175 267 169 268 Q 162 267 158 260 Z", "M 397 231 Q 439 182 452 179 Q 461 179 465 189 Q 469 199 466 223 Q 463 238 442 250 Q 394 274 380 270 Q 376 269 376 258 Q 377 249 397 231 Z", "M 645 465 Q 813 501 823 507 Q 832 514 827 524 Q 820 536 790 543 Q 759 550 728 537 Q 692 525 654 514 L 599 501 Q 559 495 514 490 Q 477 483 503 466 Q 539 448 590 452 L 645 465 Z", "M 590 452 Q 539 226 436 88 Q 417 66 394 39 Q 384 30 381 26 Q 377 19 393 21 Q 450 31 548 182 Q 555 198 565 214 Q 616 319 645 465 L 654 514 Q 673 707 694 761 Q 700 771 691 780 Q 673 796 639 813 Q 618 823 601 818 Q 582 811 597 794 Q 622 763 622 734 Q 616 602 599 501 L 590 452 Z", "M 965 90 Q 953 115 936 192 Q 936 208 929 214 Q 923 218 918 199 Q 887 117 868 92 Q 858 82 833 76 Q 776 61 730 77 Q 712 84 708 95 Q 678 158 720 373 Q 727 403 678 423 Q 666 427 657 423 Q 650 419 655 402 Q 667 362 663 326 Q 641 77 679 45 Q 745 -7 888 20 Q 889 21 893 21 Q 926 30 958 50 Q 977 65 965 90 Z", "M 775 640 Q 806 621 838 597 Q 853 587 868 589 Q 878 590 881 604 Q 884 619 871 646 Q 862 665 831 675 Q 800 681 764 685 Q 749 686 743 683 Q 739 679 742 667 Q 748 657 775 640 Z"]
- Meaning
- “就” is a very common word that usually shows something happens sooner, more easily, or more directly than expected (similar to “then,” “right away,” or “just” in English), for example: 我一到家就给你打电话 (“I’ll call you as soon as I get home”). It can also mean “to approach / go to / be engaged in” (e.g. 就座 “take a seat”, 就业 “take up a job”), and is often used to emphasize a decided choice or focus (e.g. 我就要这个 “I want exactly this one”).
- Metadata
- Locale: enCached At: 5/9/2026, 2:27:47 AM
Usage
就 is extremely common and often marks something happening earlier, more quickly, or more directly than expected. In sentences about time or condition, it often pairs with 才 or with 如果…就 to show contrast: 他八点就到了 (“He arrived as early as eight”), 你来了我们就出发 (“We’ll leave as soon as you come”), 如果下雨，我们就不去 (“If it rains, then we won’t go”). It can also emphasize a firm choice, limitation, or focus: 我就要这个 (“I want this one and that’s it”), 就你一个人知道 (“Only you know”), 他就喜欢吃辣的 (“He just likes spicy food”). In these cases, 就 adds a sense of “precisely,” “only,” or “exactly.” Another frequent use is with degree or result to sound emphatic or casual. With 只 or 是, it strengthens the idea of “merely/just”: 我就只是问一问 (“I was just asking”), 我就看看 (“I’m just looking”). With result complements, 就 can make the sequence feel tight or natural: 吃完就睡 (“Eat, then go straight to sleep”), 说做就做 (“Say it and immediately do it”). As a verb, 就 meaning “to approach; to engage in; to take up” is less prominent for beginners but still appears in set phrases like 就业 (to gain employment), 就职 (to take up a post), or 就餐 (to dine), where it links to the idea of “proceeding to” or “moving into” a state or activity.
Handwriting Notes
就 in handwriting is usually compact and slightly rectangular, with the left side (尤–like component) narrower and the right side (京–like component) a bit taller and more prominent. Learners often find it helpful to see it as two stacked parts on the right: a small “roof” shape on top and more open space with horizontal strokes below, while the left leans slightly and connects more tightly. In casual writing, strokes are often linked: the short diagonals and hooks can become smooth curves, and horizontals may shorten or merge so the character looks denser and more rounded than printed type. Different writers may emphasize either the left or the right: some make the left part thin and quick, almost like a side flourish, while others square it off so the whole character looks more balanced. Despite these stylistic variations, AI handwriting recognition systems are trained on many such handwritten samples, allowing them to reliably recognize 就 in its neater and more cursive handwritten forms.
Description
就 is a very common Chinese character used mainly as an adverb to show something happens earlier, sooner, more easily, or right away (e.g. “then,” “just,” “right away”). It can also indicate a decision or emphasis (similar to “just” or “exactly”) and appears in many fixed patterns like 就要…, 一…就…, and 只有…才….
Common Words
- 就jiu4(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then
- 就要jiu4 yao4will
- 就近jiu4 jin4nearby
- 就地jiu4 di4locally
- 铸就zhu4 jiu4to cast
Example Sentences
我喜欢就。
wo3 xi3 huan5 jiu4
I like (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then.
就要很常见。
jiu4 yao4 hen3 chang2 jian4
就要 is very common.
我们在学习就近。
wo3 men5 zai4 xue2 xi2 jiu4 jin4
We are learning nearby.
这个就地很重要。
zhe4 ge5 jiu4 di4 hen3 zhong4 yao4
This locally is important.
请写一下“就”。
qing3 xie3 yi1 xia4 jiu4
Please write '就'.