就: on the matter of, regarding
【高50】介词 / prepositions
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
就 + topic + verb: “on, regarding”. The 就 phrase announces what is being talked about or dealt with, and the verb that follows is one of speaking or handling (谈, 讨论, 回答, 提问, 发表意见, 做说明, 达成协议): 他已就这个问题做了检讨 (he has already made a self-criticism on this point). The topic can be a whole clause: 我想就如何找到自己满意的工作这个问题来谈一谈.
Register: speeches, statements, negotiations, thesis defences. In everyday speech people prefer 关于 or 对于, or simply open with the topic.
Do not mix it up with 就……而言 (hsk5-g09), “as far as … is concerned”, which gives the viewpoint from which one judges; with 关于 / 对于 (hsk4-g14), which can also introduce a noun phrase (关于环保的文章), something 就 cannot do; or with the adverb 就 (“then, at once”). The person addressed is marked with 向, 对 or 跟, never with 就.
Examples
我想就这个问题谈谈自己的看法。
Wǒ xiǎng jiù zhège wèntí tántan zìjǐ de kànfǎ.I would like to say what I think about this question.
双方就价格问题进行了讨论。
Shuāngfāng jiù jiàgé wèntí jìnxíng le tǎolùn.The two sides discussed the question of price.
他已就这个问题做了检讨。
Tā yǐ jiù zhège wèntí zuò le jiǎntǎo.He has already made a self-criticism over this issue.
校长就新学期的安排向全体教师做了说明。
Xiàozhǎng jiù xīn xuéqī de ānpái xiàng quántǐ jiàoshī zuò le shuōmíng.The principal briefed all the teachers on the arrangements for the new term.
委员会就这一点没有提出异议。
Wěiyuánhuì jiù zhè yì diǎn méiyǒu tíchū yìyì.The committee raised no objection on this point.
我想就如何找到自己满意的工作这个问题来谈一谈。
Wǒ xiǎng jiù rúhé zhǎodào zìjǐ mǎnyì de gōngzuò zhège wèntí lái tán yi tán.I would like to talk about the question of how to find a job that satisfies you.
Common mistakes
✗ 我就朋友借了一本书。 → ✓ 我向朋友借了一本书。 (the person you borrow from or speak to is marked with 向, 对 or 跟; 就 only introduces the topic).
✗ 就这个问题很重要。 → ✓ 就这个问题，我们谈了很久。 (a 就 phrase calls for a verb of speaking or handling after it; it is not a subject).
✗ 我读了一篇就环保的文章。 → ✓ 我读了一篇关于环保的文章。 (就 does not modify a noun, 关于 does).