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才 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
才
cái
ability
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
talent
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
sb of a certain type
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
a capable individual
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
only
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
only then
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
just now
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
a moment ago
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
(preceded by a clause of condition or reason) not until
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
(followed by a numerical clause) only
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
才
cái
ability, talent, gift; just, only
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Medium
cái(cai2)cai T2
1ability
2talent
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March 24, 2026
才cái(cai2)
The character 才 (cái) primarily denotes talent or ability, often used to describe someone skilled or capable. Additionally, it can indicate a sense of limitation or exclusivity, as in 'only' or 'just now' when used in certain contexts. This dual meaning makes it versatile in expressions of capability and temporal references.
Strokes3Radical扌Frequency#120DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, talent and ability are highly valued, often reflected in traditional arts and crafts. The concept of 才 embodies not just individual skill, but also the collective appreciation of craftsmanship in cultural heritage.
Memory tip
Imagine a talented artist (才) who only paints when inspired. The character 才 combines a person holding a tool (the top part resembles a person's head with a tool above) to symbolize their ability, while 'cái' sounds like 'sigh'—as if you sigh in admiration of their talent.
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AI study notes for 才
Quick Contrast
才 (cái) vs 仅 (jǐn) — use 才 when emphasizing talent or ability, while 仅 focuses on limitation or exclusivity without the connotation of skill.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 才 with similar characters like 只 (zhǐ), which also means 'only.' Remember that 才 emphasizes ability or a specific condition being met before something occurs. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can appear in more formal writing depending on the sentence structure.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 才 connects well with other words that indicate ability or time, such as 能 (néng, can) and 刚 (gāng, just). Focus on using 才 in sentences where you want to express capability or time-related contexts to solidify understanding.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 才 in contexts where 只 should be used, such as '我只有去' (wǒ zhǐyǒu qù) instead of '我才去' (wǒ cái qù), which incorrectly implies capability instead of limitation.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 才
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Pictograph of a small plant starting to emerge from the ground. Based on the original meaning "to sprout". The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "talent".
Memory hint
A sprout growing in the ground, representing a budding talent
The character 才 (cái) primarily denotes talent or ability, often used to describe someone skilled or capable. Additionally, it can indicate a sense of limitation or exclusivity, as in 'only' or 'just now' when used in certain contexts. This dual meaning makes it versatile in expressions of capability and temporal references.
When to use 才
Learners often confuse 才 with similar characters like 只 (zhǐ), which also means 'only.' Remember that 才 emphasizes ability or a specific condition being met before something occurs. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can appear in more formal writing depending on the sentence structure.
才 or something close to it
才 (cái) vs 仅 (jǐn) — use 才 when emphasizing talent or ability, while 仅 focuses on limitation or exclusivity without the connotation of skill.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is using 才 in contexts where 只 should be used, such as '我只有去' (wǒ zhǐyǒu qù) instead of '我才去' (wǒ cái qù), which incorrectly implies capability instead of limitation.
Write 才
才
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Grammar patterns of 才
才 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 11 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
They have been given college scholarships purely on athletic ability.
11
她的语言才华让很多人惊讶。
Tā de yǔyán cáihuá ràng hěn duō rén jīngyà.
Her language ability astonishes many people.
12
他有很高的数学才能，所以老师常常请他帮忙解题。
Tā yǒu hěn gāo de shùxué cáinéng, suǒyǐ lǎoshī chángcháng qǐng tā bāngmáng jiě tí.
He has excellent math ability, so the teacher often asks him to help solve problems.
13
她的音乐才能让她在比赛中获胜。
Tā de yīnyuè cáinéng ràng tā zài bǐsài zhōng huòshèng.
Her musical ability helped her win the competition.
14
拥有创造力才是成为好艺术家的关键。
Yǒngyǒu chuàngzàolì cái shì chéngwéi hǎo yìshùjiā de guānjiàn.
Having creativity is the key to becoming a good artist.
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Cultural Notes for 才
💡Did you know?
'才' is often used in Chinese to express that someone has a particular talent or ability. This reflects the cultural value placed on skill and education in Chinese society.
Word Family of 才
Compounds10
闭bìto close
团tuánround
财cáimoney
材cáimaterial
豺cháiwolf; cruel, mean, wicked
鼒zī
犲chái
財cáiriches, wealth, valuables
釮qí
閉bìto shut, to close; to obstruct, to block
Words containing this character20
才cáiability
刚才gāngcáijust now剛才
才能cáinéngtalent
人才réncáitalent
天才tiāncáitalent
才华cáihuátalent才華
方才fāngcáijust now
奇才qícáigenius
才华横溢cáihuáhéngyìbrilliant才華橫溢
口才kǒucáieloquence
奴才núcaislave
才艺cáiyìtalent才藝
才干cáigànability才幹
成才chéngcáito make sth of oneself
秀才xiùcaischolar
才智cáizhìability and wisdom
才女cáinǚtalented girl
才子cáizǐgifted scholar
聪明才智cōngmingcáizhìintelligence and wisdom聰明才智
多才多艺duōcái-duōyìmulti-talented多才多藝
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 才
What does 闭 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 才
才 (cái) and 只 (zhǐ) both convey the idea of 'only', but they have different nuances. 才 emphasizes a sense of limitation or a condition that has just been met, while 只 is more straightforward, simply indicating 'only' without any additional implications. For example, '我只想要一个' (wǒ zhǐ xiǎng yào yīgè) means 'I only want one,' whereas '我才开始学习' (wǒ cái kāishǐ xuéxí) means 'I only just started learning.'
才 (cái) can mean 'ability' or 'talent' when referring to someone's skills. It can also imply 'only' or 'only then' in certain contexts, indicating a limitation or a specific time when something occurs. Understanding its usage depends on the sentence structure and context.
You can use 才 (cái) in sentences to indicate when something happens 'only then' or to express someone's capability. For example, '我才明白' (wǒ cái míngbái) means 'I understand only now.' Additionally, it can describe someone's talent, as in '他是一个很有才华的人' (tā shì yīgè hěn yǒu cáihuá de rén), meaning 'He is a very talented person.'
Yes, while it is often used in informal contexts, 才 can also appear in formal writing, especially when discussing abilities or conditions.
While both mean 'only,' 才 emphasizes capability or a condition being met, whereas 只 simply indicates limitation without the ability context.
Yes, it appears in phrases like '才华' (cáihuá), meaning talent or capability.
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