Dictionary › 才

才

cái

HSK 3 Character

What 才 means

1. ability; talent
2. sb of a certain type
3. a capable individual
4. then and only then
5. just now
6. (before an expression of quantity) only
7. (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) really; actually

Other readings

才 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• cái(variant of {才|cái}) just now; (variant of {才|cái}) (before an expression of quantity) onl

Example sentences

• 你才对。
  I stand corrected.
• 这样才对！
  It's done like this!
• 哪天才行？
  Which day is fine?
• 逆境出人才。
  Nìjìng chū réncái.
  Adversity makes a man wise, not rich.
• 我才刚开始。
  I'm just beginning.
• 爱拼才会赢。
  Whether you will succeed or not depends on your efforts.

Words starting with 才

• 才能cái néngtalent; ability; capacity
• 才干cái gànability; competence
• 才华cái huátalent
• 才子cái zǐgifted scholar
• 才女cái nǚtalented girl
• 才气cái qìtalent (usually literary or artistic)
• 才智cái zhìability and wisdom
• 才学cái xuétalent and learning; scholarship
• 才华横溢cái huá héng yìbrimming over with talent (esp. literary); brilliant
• 才不cái bùby no means; definitely not; as if!
• 才分cái fènability; talent; gift
• 才德cái détalent and virtue
• 才略cái lüèability and sagacity
• 才识cái shíability and insight
• 才然cái ránjust recently; just a moment ago; just now
• 才气过人cái qì guò rénan outstanding talent (idiom); surpassing insight and acumen
• 才识过人cái shí guò rénan outstanding talent (idiom); surpassing insight and acumen
• 才华出众cái huá chū zhòngoutstanding talent (idiom); incomparable artistic merit
• 才思cái sīimaginative power; creativeness
• 才子佳人cái zǐ jiā rénlit. gifted scholar, beautiful lady (idiom); fig. pair of ideal lovers
• 才艺cái yìtalent
• 才华盖世cái huá gài shìpeerless talent (idiom); incomparable artistic merit
• 才怪cái guàiit'd be a wonder if... (following a verb phrase that is usually negative)
• 才兼文武cái jiān wén wǔtalent in both military and civil field (idiom)

Words containing 才

• 刚才gāng cáijust now; a moment ago
• 人才rén cáitalent; talented person; looks
• 天才tiān cáitalent; gift; genius
• 方才fāng cáijust now; then
• 秀才xiù caia person who has passed the county level imperial exam (historical); scholar…
• 奴才nú caislave; fig. flunkey
• 成才chéng cáito make sth of oneself; to become a person who is worthy of respect
• 口才kǒu cáieloquence
• 适才shì cáijust now; a moment ago (often used in the early vernacular)
• 奇才qí cáigenius
• 聪明才智cōng ming cái zhìintelligence and ability
• 多才多艺duō cái duō yìmultitalented
• 不才bù cáiuntalented; I; me (humble)
• 爱才ài cáito value talent; to cherish talented people
• 冯骥才Féng Jì cáiFeng Jicai (1942-), novelist from Tianjin, author of Extraordinary people in our ordinary…
• 贤才xián cáia genius; a talented person
• 高才gāo cáigreat talent; rare capability; person of outstanding ability
• 真才实学zhēn cái shí xuésolid learning; real ability and learning; genuine talent
• 全才quán cáiall-rounder; versatile
• 多才duō cáimultitalented
• 将才jiàng cáitalented field commander (military)
• 干才gàn cáiability; capable
• 德才dé cáiethics and ability; virtuous and talented
• 比才Bǐ cáiGeorges Bizet (1838–1875), French composer

Characters that look like 才

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 牙yátooth; ivory

Sounds the same

Read cái, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 材material; timber; ability
• 财money; wealth; riches
• 裁to cut out (as a dress); to cut; to trim