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采 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
采cǎito pickHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎito pluckHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎito collectHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎito selectHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎito chooseHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎito gatherHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采cǎiallotment to a feudal nobleHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito pickHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito pluckHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito collectHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito selectHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito chooseHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càito gatherHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
采càiallotment to a feudal nobleHSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 釆, rank #6201, Very Hard
cǎi(cai3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1to pick
  2. 2to pluck
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

采(採)cǎi(cai3)

The character 采 (cǎi) primarily means 'to pick' or 'to pluck', often relating to gathering or collecting items from nature, such as fruits or herbs. It can also imply selecting or choosing among options, making it relevant in contexts like decision-making or preferences.

Strokes8Radical釆Frequency#6201DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, 采 plays a significant role as practitioners often collect herbs from nature for remedies, highlighting the importance of gathering natural resources.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer (the radical 采 resembles a person with arms outstretched) joyfully picking ripe fruit from trees. The sound 'cǎi' can be remembered as 'sigh' because after a long day of collecting, the farmer lets out a satisfied sigh.

Meanings of 采

cǎi(cai3)
primary
1to pick
2to pluck
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 采

采Simplified
採Traditional
8Strokes
釆Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#6201Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

Podcast: 采

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Podcast: 采

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AI Study Notes for 采

Quick Contrast

采 (cǎi) vs 选 (xuǎn) — use 采 when referring to picking or gathering items from nature, while 选 is for choosing among options or selections.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 采 with similar-sounding characters. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. Common collocations include 采集 (cǎijí, to collect) and 采摘 (cǎizhuā, to pick fruits).

HSK Study Tips

While 采 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it connects well with vocabulary around nature and selection at HSK level 3 and above. Students should focus on its usage in context to enhance comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 采 with 采纳 (cǎinà, to adopt), which has a different meaning related to accepting suggestions. Always remember that 采 specifically involves the action of picking or gathering.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 采

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Etymology of 采

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a hand (爪) picking fruit from a tree (木).

Memory Hint

A hand picking 爫 fruit from a tree 木

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 采

Pictograph of a hand (爪) picking fruit from a tree (木).

  1. 1The giveawayA hand picking 爫 fruit from a tree 木
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 采? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 采?

Decomposition of 采

IDS Structure⿱爫木
采Full Character
=
爫zhao3
top
木Mu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 采?

How to say to pick in Chinese

“to pick” in Chinese is采cǎi

The character 采 (cǎi) primarily means 'to pick' or 'to pluck', often relating to gathering or collecting items from nature, such as fruits or herbs. It can also imply selecting or choosing among options, making it relevant in contexts like decision-making or preferences.

When to use 采

Be careful not to confuse 采 with similar-sounding characters. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. Common collocations include 采集 (cǎijí, to collect) and 采摘 (cǎizhuā, to pick fruits).

采 or something close to it

采 (cǎi) vs 选 (xuǎn) — use 采 when referring to picking or gathering items from nature, while 选 is for choosing among options or selections.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 采 with 采纳 (cǎinà, to adopt), which has a different meaning related to accepting suggestions. Always remember that 采 specifically involves the action of picking or gathering.

Write 采

采

Practice writing 采 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 采

采 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons3
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

基于以上分析，我们建议____用第二方案。

Based on the above analysis, we recommend adopting the second plan.

Common Confusions with 采

采vs彩
cǎi

Same pronunciation but different meanings and radicals.

采vs材
cái

Similar sound but different meanings.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to pick"?

or

Example Sentences for 采 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
现在人们开始意识到必须采取断然的行动。

xiàn zài rén mén kāi shǐ yì shí dào bì xū cǎi qǔ duàn rán de háng dòng。

Now there is a dawning realisation that drastic action is necessary.
2
如果遭到了性骚扰，你应该采取行动。

rú guǒ zāo dào le xìng sāo rǎo， ， nǐ yīng gāi cǎi qǔ háng。

If you're sexually harassed, you ought to do something about it.
3
这次我们确实可以采取行动了。

zhè cì wǒ mén què shí kě yǐ cǎi qǔ háng dòng le。

By golly we can do something about it this time.
4
《编辑》杂志对于核对事实这一点采取无所谓的态度。

《 《 biān》 jí 》 zá zhì duì yú hé duì shì shí zhè yī diǎn cǎi qǔ wú suǒ wèi de。

The Editor takes a cavalier attitude to the concept of fact checking.
5
这座楼完全是现代主义风格：采用玻璃和铝质材料，以灰色作为基调。

zhè zuò lóu wán quán shì xiàn dài zhǔ yì fēng gé： ： cǎi yòng bō lí hé lǚ zhì cái， liào ， yǐ huī sè zuò wéi。

The building is impeccably modernist: glass, aluminium and grey.
6
他曾告诉一位采访者，他甚至都不喜欢摇滚乐。

tā zēng gào sù yī wèi cǎi fǎng zhě， ， tā shèn zhì dū bù xǐ huān yáo gǔn。

He once told an interviewer that he didn't even like rock music.
7
他接受采访时阐述了持乐观态度的理由。

tā jiē shòu cǎi fǎng shí chǎn shù le chí lè guān tài dù de lǐ yóu。

In the interview he gave some grounds for optimism.
8
他是当今英语世界中文采最好的。

tā shì dāng jīn yīng yǔ shì jiè zhōng wén cǎi zuì hǎo de。

He is the finest stylist in the English language of today.
9
柯林斯在采访还没开始时就暴躁不安起来。

kē lín sī zài cǎi fǎng huán méi kāi shǐ shí jiù bào zào bù ān qǐ lái。

Collins was in a foul mood even before the interviews began.
10
有关采用欧元的文章已经有很多。

yǒu guān cǎi yòng ōu yuán de wén zhāng yǐ jīng yǒu hěn duō。

Millions of words have been written about the introduction of the euro.

Word Family of 采

Compounds12
彩cai3(bright) color
菜cai4dish (type of food)
踩cai3variant of 踩[cǎi]
睬cai3variant of 睬[cǎi]
採cai3to collect, to gather; to pick, to pluck
埰
寀
倸
啋
婇
棌
綵cai3motley, variegated
Words Containing This Character20
采取cǎiqǔto take採取
采访cǎifǎngto interview採訪
采用cǎiyòngto adopt採用
采cǎito pick採
采购cǎigòuto purchase採購
采集cǎijíto gather採集
开采kāicǎito exploit開採
风采fēngcǎisvelte風采
采纳cǎinàto accept採納
采矿cǎikuàngmining採礦
无精打采wújīngdǎcǎiin low spirits無精打采
兴高采烈xìnggāocǎilièin high spirits興高采烈
采样sampling採樣
采摘to pluck採摘
神采奕奕radiating health and vigor
采石场stone pit採石場
采光lighting採光
没精打采listless沒精打采
采油oil extraction採油
采煤coal mining採煤
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 彩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 采

While 采 (cǎi) focuses on the act of picking or gathering, 拾 (shí) means to pick up, often from the ground, and 选 (xuǎn) means to choose or select among options. Understanding these nuances can help clarify their use in different contexts.

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