<ul>
<li>就 as a standalone verb it used to mean "to take", but now it usually does not stand alone, but the meaning remains.</li>
<li>就 as a conjunction means "AND", thus extending original meaning "to take". Since you are "with an object" when you "take it", that is, it can be said that you are in a situation of "you AND it". Mind you there are many "and" in chinese (跟, 及, 也, 和, 并, 与, 而, 同 ect.) each has it's own connotation and perhaps evolved from a verb.</li>
</ul>

<p>there is a disscussion about it, here <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19419/a-unified-theory-of-%E5%B0%B1-meaning/21014#21014">A unified theory of 就 meaning</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-28T23:01:38.250Z
Great! Thanks, very interesting!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-21T09:40:39.077Z
2019-05-21T09:40:39.077Z
coobit
<p>There is an extended discussion about 就 here <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,138618,page=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,138618,page=1</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>My thinking is. 就 mainly means " then; just; only; near; close to</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The original meaning of 就 </p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.shuowen.org/view/3315" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.shuowen.org/view/3315</a> </p>
  
  <p>'就，高也。从京从尤。尤，異於凡也  </p>
  
  <p>京 = high </p>
  
  <p>尤 = extraordinary</p>
  
  <p>就 = high</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>廣韵曰。就、成也。迎也。卽也。皆其引伸之義也</p>
  
  <p>The core meaning of 就 is 'success; complete'; other means like 'get near' or 'then' are all extended from the original meaning </p>
</blockquote>

<p>'就' in '铺就' and  '造就' are adverb for 'completed' because '铺' and '造' are verb.</p>

<p>铺 = to pave</p>

<p>铺就 = finish paving</p>

<p>~</p>

<p>造 = make</p>

<p>造就 = completed making = create</p>

<p>~</p>

<p>成就 (achievement) is a compound word </p>

<p>成= completed</p>

<p>就 = height; </p>

<p>成就 = achievement</p>

<p>~</p>

<p>将就，迁就 are also compound words </p>

<p>'就' in '将就'(put up with)  and  迁就 (accommodate) is a verb for 'approach' (you make accommodation to approach someone else's need or demand)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-20T06:26:21.490Z
2019-05-20T06:26:21.490Z
Tang Ho
<p>Recently I came across 铺就, today I have 造就。I tend to think of 就 as 'then'. Maybe that is wrong.</p>

<p>What did 就 originally mean? It seems to show a building and an injured hand??</p>

<p>There are other words with *就。<br>
成就，将就，迁就，牵就 even 可就</p>

<p>How should I understand 就 in these combinations? What is its role?</p>

<phrase-meaning>
What exactly does 就 mean in combination with other words?
# What exactly does 就 mean in combination with other words?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-20)

Recently I came across 铺就, today I have 造就。I tend to think of 就 as 'then'. Maybe that is wrong.

What did 就 originally mean? It seems to show a building and an injured hand??

There are other words with \*就。  
成就，将就，迁就，牵就 even 可就

How should I understand 就 in these combinations? What is its role?

**Tags:** phrase-meaning

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-05-21. Score: 1

* 就 as a standalone verb it used to mean "to take", but now it usually does not stand alone, but the meaning remains.
* 就 as a conjunction means "AND", thus extending original meaning "to take". Since you are "with an object" when you "take it", that is, it can be said that you are in a situation of "you AND it". Mind you there are many "and" in chinese (跟, 及, 也, 和, 并, 与, 而, 同 ect.) each has it's own connotation and perhaps evolved from a verb.

there is a disscussion about it, here [A unified theory of 就 meaning](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19419/a-unified-theory-of-%E5%B0%B1-meaning/21014#21014)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Great! Thanks, very interesting!  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-20. Score: 1

There is an extended discussion about 就 here <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,138618,page=1>

> My thinking is. 就 mainly means " then; just; only; near; close to

~

> The original meaning of 就
>
> <http://www.shuowen.org/view/3315>
>
> '就，高也。从京从尤。尤，異於凡也
>
> 京 = high
>
> 尤 = extraordinary
>
> 就 = high

~

> 廣韵曰。就、成也。迎也。卽也。皆其引伸之義也
>
> The core meaning of 就 is 'success; complete'; other means like 'get near' or 'then' are all extended from the original meaning

'就' in '铺就' and '造就' are adverb for 'completed' because '铺' and '造' are verb.

铺 = to pave

铺就 = finish paving

~

造 = make

造就 = completed making = create

~

成就 (achievement) is a compound word

成= completed

就 = height;

成就 = achievement

~

将就，迁就 are also compound words

'就' in '将就'(put up with) and 迁就 (accommodate) is a verb for 'approach' (you make accommodation to approach someone else's need or demand)


---

