Looking up...
方才
fāngcái
just now
方才你在哪里？
Where were you just now?
formal
A short time ago; just now; a moment ago.
方才我还见过他。
I saw him just now.
方才的电话是谁打来的？
Who called just now?
方才 is used to refer to a very recent past moment, often interchangeable with '刚才' in many contexts, but slightly more formal.
Pro Tip
Avoid overusing 方才
While 方才 is correct, 刚才 is far more common in daily speech. Use 方才 in formal writing or when you want to sound more refined.
Gold Rule
Time reference
方才 always refers to a very recent past moment, similar to 'just now' in English. It cannot be used for distant past events.
Word Origin
方 (fāng) means 'just' or 'only', and 才 (cái) is a modal particle indicating emphasis or recent past action. The compound 方才 has been used in Classical Chinese and evolved into modern Mandarin.
Usage Notes
方才 is typically used in written or formal spoken Chinese. In casual speech, 刚才 is more common. Do not confuse with 才能 (cáinéng, 'only then can') or 方能 (fāngnéng, 'only then can').
Word Breakdown
方
just; only
root才
modal particle indicating emphasis or recent past
particle汉英词典