刚刚

刚刚 means 'just now' or 'a moment ago,' indicating a very recent time. It is used to describe actions that happened immediately before the present moment.

The character 刚 (gāng) originally meant 'stiff' or 'rigid,' but in this compound word, it contributes to the meaning of something happening shortly after another event. The repetition of 刚 makes the word more emphatic, reinforcing the idea of immediacy.

刚刚 is commonly used in daily conversation to refer to recent events, such as when someone arrives, finishes an action, or receives information. It is often paired with other time markers like “才” (cái) or “就” (jiù) to emphasize the timing.