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Gāngcái wǒ zài wàimiàn děng tā.

刚才Gāngcái　我wǒ　在zài　外面wàimiàn　等děng　她tā。Gāngcái wǒ zài wàimiàn děng tā.
Just now I was outside waiting for her.
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Questions & Answers about Gāngcái wǒ zài wàimiàn děng tā.

Where can 刚才 go in the sentence? Does its position change the meaning?

Time words usually go at the start or right after the subject:

  • 刚才我在外面等她 (gāngcái wǒ zài wàimiàn děng tā)
  • 我刚才在外面等她 (wǒ gāngcái zài wàimiàn děng tā) Both are natural and mean the same. Avoid later positions like 我在外面刚才等她, which sounds odd.
Do I need 了 to show past tense?
No. Chinese doesn’t mark tense; 刚才 already puts it in the recent past. Use 了 to mark a bounded event or add duration: 刚才我在外面等了她半个小时. Avoid 刚才我在外面等她了 (unnatural).
Is 在 here the progressive marker (“be doing”)?
Here 在 introduces location: 在外面 = “outside.” The progressive marker 在/正在 goes right before the main verb: 我在等她 / 我正在等她. You can combine them: 我刚才正在外面等她 (I was in the middle of waiting outside).
What’s the difference between 刚才 and 刚/刚刚?
  • 刚才 is a time word (“a moment ago”) and can modify the whole clause or be used like a noun: 刚才的事.
  • 刚/刚刚 are adverbs modifying the verb: 我刚到 / 我刚刚到 (“I just arrived”). In many cases 刚才 ≈ 刚刚 in meaning; 刚 often sounds a bit briefer and doesn’t take 的 as easily.
How do I negate a sentence with 刚才?

Use 没(有) for past actions: 我刚才没在外面等她 (“I wasn’t waiting for her outside just now”).
Use 不 for non-past/habitual/volitional negatives. With state-like “be present” you’ll hear 她刚才不在; for actions like 等, stick to 没(有).

Does 等 mean “wait for” by itself? Do I need a preposition?
Yes. 等 + object already means “wait for [object]”: 等她. Don’t add extra prepositions like “为/对”. You can also wait for an event: 等雨停 (“wait for the rain to stop”).
Can I say 我等她在外面? Is that the same?
No. 我等她在外面 tends to mean “I’m waiting for her to be outside” (等 + clause = “wait until ...”). To say you are outside waiting, put the place before the verb: 我在外面等她.
外面 vs 外边 vs 外头 — any difference?

All mean “outside.”

  • 外面 (wàimiàn) neutral, very common.
  • 外边 (wàibiān) also common.
  • 外头 (wàitou) more colloquial/regional.
    In Beijing speech you may hear 外面儿 (wàimiānr).
What are the tones/pronunciation?
  • 刚才 gāngcái (1–2)
  • 我 wǒ (3)
  • 在 zài (4)
  • 外面 wàimiàn (4–4)
  • 等 děng (3)
  • 她 tā (1)
Are 他 and 她 pronounced the same?
Yes—both are tā (first tone). The gender difference exists only in writing; in speech, context tells you which one.
How do I emphasize that I was in the middle of waiting?
Use progressive markers: 我刚才正在外面等她 or add 呢: 我刚才在外面等她呢. You can also use 着 for a sustained state: 我刚才在外面等着她.
How do I add a duration or say “for a while”?

Put the duration after the verb, usually with 了:

  • 我刚才在外面等了她一会儿
  • 我刚才在外面等了半个小时
    Without a duration, 了 isn’t needed.
Can I drop the object “her”?
Only if it’s understood from context: 我刚才在外面等呢 (“I was waiting [someone]”), or use a generic object: 等人. A bare 等 often sounds incomplete.
What’s the canonical word order here?

A common pattern is: Time + Subject + Place + Verb (+ Object).
So: 刚才 + 我 + 在外面 + 等 + 她.

Is there any difference between 刚才我在外面等她 and 我刚才在外面等她?
Both are natural and basically the same. Sentence-initial 刚才 slightly foregrounds the time frame; after the subject is a bit more neutral.
Can I use 过 with 刚才?
No. 过 marks indefinite past experience and normally doesn’t appear with specific time words like 刚才/昨天. Avoid 刚才我等过她.