jǐu HSK 3

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

我等了很久。
Wǒ děng le hěn jiǔ.
I waited for a long time.
我们很久没见。
Wǒmen hěn jiǔ méi jiàn.
We haven't seen each other for a long time.
这本书很旧。
Zhè běn shū hěn jiù.
This book is very old.
我等了很久。
Wǒ děng le hěn jiǔ.
I waited a long time.
他站了很久。
Tā zhàn le hěn jiǔ.
He stood for a long time.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 久 as looking like a person (人) with a long, extended leg, symbolizing something stretching out over time. Associate it with the phrase '久等了' (jiǔ děng le, 'sorry for the long wait'), a common expression when someone has waited a long time.

📝 Usage Notes

久 is used in both spoken and written Chinese, across formal and informal contexts. It commonly appears in descriptions of time, experiences, or states, such as discussing how long someone has lived somewhere, waited, or known someone. It is often paired with words like 很 (hěn) or 已 (yǐ) to modify its intensity.

📖 Grammar Points

久 is often used as a complement after verbs to indicate duration, e.g., 住久 (zhù jiǔ, 'live for a long time'). It can also be part of adverbial phrases like 很久 (hěn jiǔ, 'for a very long time') or 不久 (bù jiǔ, 'not long after'). In sentences, it typically follows adverbs or precedes nouns in compound words.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 久 can carry positive connotations of endurance and stability, as seen in phrases like 天长地久 (tiān cháng dì jiǔ, 'eternal as heaven and earth'), often used in wishes for lasting relationships. It reflects a value placed on longevity and perseverance.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 长 (cháng), which can mean 'long' in terms of physical length or duration, 久 specifically refers to time duration and is not used for physical distance. 久 also differs from 旧 (jiù), meaning 'old' or 'former,' which relates to age or condition rather than time length.

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