Dictionary › 才
才
cái
才 (cái) means "only then; not until; just". It is an HSK 3.0 level 3 word, and was HSK 3 in the old six-level list.
What 才 means
- ability; talent
- sb of a certain type
- a capable individual
- then and only then
- just now
- (before an expression of quantity) only
- (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) really; actually
How 才 is used in grammar
才 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.
- Time Adverbs: 本来, 才, 曾经, 从来, 立刻 (HSK 3)
- 只要/只有…才…: only if/unless (HSK 4)
The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 3, adverbs (时间副词); level 3, adverbs (语气副词); level 4, adverbs (语气副词).
Other readings
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.
Sounds the same
Read cái, tone for tone, but written differently.
Where 才 is taught
In the GraphChinese course it is part of Connectors, Conjunctions & Key Adverbs (HSK 3), HSK 3 Characters · Set 5 (HSK 3), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.
Go deeper
- Every HSK 3 word, with the rest of its level.
- How characters are built from components.
- How to learn Chinese characters.
- The four tones and the neutral tone, to read cái correctly.
- Look up another word in the free dictionary.
Looking a word up is not learning it. GraphChinese puts all of HSK 1–6 into one dependency graph, teaches each piece only once its prerequisites are solid, and schedules reviews to land just before you would forget.
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