What's the usage/meaning of 就 in this case?

Question

I've asked a question regarding 就 before here and the answer helped a lot. But I'm a bit confused regarding another example sentence that I came across. The sentence is:

大的行李托运了，这个小的行李就随身带着。

The context is that there are two friends, A and B, and they are at the airport. A asked B what he/she did with the luggage, and B replies by saying the above sentence.

I understand that it means "The big baggage I checked, and this small one I'm going to carry with me."

My understanding of 就 is that it's something equivalent to "then," but I'm having trouble connecting that to this specific sentence.

What would it mean in this case?

Thank you.

Answer 1

就 http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/808/

[5] [prep] with regard to; concerning; as far as

~

大的行李托运了

小的行李随身带着

The first part of the sentence stated the transporting solutions for the large items; the second part of the sentence stated the transporting solutions for the small items

• 就 as a preposition, connect the second part with the first part

大的行李托运了， - The large baggage items have been checked-in

这个小的行李(就)随身带着 - (with regard to) the small baggage items, (I) will carry them with me

Similar example:

你帶主力軍向東撒退 - you take the main force retreat to the East

我帶其他部隊向西撒退 - I take the rest of the army retreat to the West

你帶主力軍向東撒退, 我(就)帶其他部隊向西撒退 - you take the main force retreat to the East, (with regard to) I, (I) will take the rest of the army retreat to the West

You can see the role of 就 as a preposition (with regard to; concerning; as far as) more clearly in the following examples:

大的行李托运

小的行李随身带着

大的行李(就)托运, 小的行李(就)随身带着 - (with regard to) the large baggage items, (they) will be checked-in; (with regard to) the small baggage items, (I) will carry them with me

~

你帶主力軍向東撒退

我帶其他部隊向西撒退

你(就)帶主力軍向東撒退, 我(就)帶其他部隊向西撒退 - (with regard to) you, (you) will take the main force retreat to the East; (with regard to) I, (I) will take the rest of the army retreat to the West

If we have 'if' implied in the sentence, then 就 would mean 'then':

(如果)大的行李托运, 小的行李(就)随身带着 - (If) the large baggage items will be checked-in; (then) the small baggage items will be carried with me

~

(如果)你帶主力軍向東撒退, 我(就)帶其他部隊向西撒退 - (If) you take the main force retreat to the East; I'll (then) take the rest of the army retreat to the West

就 means 'then' only when there's a 'if'(如果) or 'since'(既然) implied before it in the sentence

In the cases of the examples in my answer, a '而' is implied

你帶主力軍向東撒退, (而)我(就)帶其他部隊向西撒退

In your previous question about 就, '等你来天津' (when you come to Tianjin) 'if' is implied

Answer 2

Given the context,

大的行李托運了，這個小的行李就隨身帶着。

The big baggage I checked, and this small one (I'm going to) carry with me.

you can rewrite I'm going to to will then be.

The big baggage I checked, and this small one will then be carried with me.

The translation of「就」to then should be clearer in this way of phrasing.

Answer 3

(既然)大的行李(已经)托运了，这个小的行李就随身带着。

"就" usually means a secondary step.

A more classic example:
他拿走了草莓, 我就只能选苹果了.

Answer 4

I take 就 here as an adverb, meaning just.

大的行李托运了，这个小的行李就随身带着

The sentence omitted the subject: 我们. If we added it back, it can be:

(我们把)大的行李托运了，这个小的行李(我们)就随身带着。

Basically, it is saying Now that we have the big luggage checked, for the small one, we just carry with us.