HSK 3
时间副词：本来、才、曾经、从来、赶紧、赶快、立刻、连忙、始终、已、早已
shí jiān fù cí ： běn lái 、 cái 、 céng jīng 、 cóng lái 、 gǎn jǐn 、 gǎn kuài 、 lì kè 、 lián máng 、 shǐ zhōng 、 yǐ 、 zǎo yǐ
Adverbs of time: 本来, 才, 曾经, 从来, 赶紧, 赶快, 立刻, 连忙, 始终, 已, 早已
Explanation
This is a group of time adverbs (words that modify the verb, indicating the time, frequency, or speed of an action), including: 本来 (běnlái), 才 (cái), 曾经 (céngjīng), 从来 (cónglái), 赶紧 (gǎnjǐn), 赶快 (gǎnkuài), 立刻 (lìkè), 连忙 (liánmáng), 始终 (shǐzhōng), 已 (yǐ), 早已 (zǎoyǐ).
subject (the person/thing performing the action, at the start of the sentence) + adverb + verb. These adverbs always come BEFORE the verb, never after it.
本来 = originally, the initial plan (usually with a later change). 才 = just, only now (emphasizing an action that just happened or happened later than expected). 曾经 = once, formerly (a past experience, often paired with 过 guò). 从来 = up to now, usually paired with 不/没 for negation (从来不 = never). 赶紧/赶快/立刻/连忙 = hurry up, immediately, hastily (all indicating urgent speed). 始终 = from beginning to end, always. 已/早已 = already / already for a long time.
曾经 emphasizes "once had an experience" (a matter that has ended); 从来 almost always goes with negation to say "never before". 赶紧/连忙 usually describe an action that has already happened; 赶快/立刻 are often used to urge others.
Placing the adverb after the verb (wrong — it must come before); using 从来 but forgetting the negation 不/没; confusing 才 (just, late) with 就 (already, early), which are opposite in meaning.
Examples
The meeting was originally going to be held on Monday, but now the time has been changed.
He has just gotten up; let's wait a moment.
How can you be leaving when you've only just arrived?
I once studied Chinese for a year.
He has never drunk alcohol.
On hearing this news, he hurriedly ran back home.
Hearing someone call his name, he hurriedly opened the door.
He is feeling very unwell; we must quickly take him to the hospital.
The manager called and told me to go to her office immediately.
Seeing an elderly person get on the bus, I promptly stood up and gave him my seat.
When she was studying in China, she consistently kept speaking Chinese every day.
We have already finished making next month's work plan.
He left Beijing long ago.
Practice
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Learn “时间副词：本来、才、曾经、从来、赶紧、赶快、立刻、连忙、始终、已、早已” effectively
The grammar point “时间副词：本来、才、曾经、从来、赶紧、赶快、立刻、连忙、始终、已、早已” (Adverbs of time: 本来, 才, 曾经, 从来, 赶紧, 赶快, 立刻, 连忙, 始终, 已, 早已) is one of the key structures at HSK 3. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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