才 meaning and stroke order
Ability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable individual
How to write 才, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 才
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ability; talent
- sb of a certain type
- a capable individual
- then and only then
- just now
- (before an expression of quantity) only
How 才 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A sprout growing in the ground, representing a budding talent.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 才
Picture 才 as a tiny sprout pushing up through the ground, a talent that is just starting to grow. A sprout has only just appeared, which links to the other meaning: just, only.
As an adverb, 才 (cái) often means 'only then' or 'not until', showing something happened later than expected, or 'only' before a number. It also means talent in words like 人才 (réncái) and 天才 (tiāncái). Example: 他十点才起床。(Tā shí diǎn cái qǐchuáng.) He didn't get up until ten.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 才 (cái) and 就 (jiù): 才 means later or harder than expected, 就 means earlier or easier. Also do not confuse the shape with 寸 (cùn) or オ-like 扌 alone. 才 has a hook and a slanted stroke crossing the vertical.
Common words with 才
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刚才 | gāngcái | just now; a moment ago | HSK 2 |
| 才能 | cáinéng | talent; ability | HSK 3 |
| 人才 | réncái | talent; talented person | HSK 3 |
| 天才 | tiāncái | talent; gift | HSK 5 |
| 才华 | cáihuá | talent | HSK 7-9 |
| 口才 | kǒucái | eloquence | HSK 7-9 |
| 成才 | chéngcái | to make sth of oneself; to become a person who is worthy of respect | HSK 7-9 |
| 奴才 | núcai | slave; fig. flunkey | |
| 鬼才 | guǐcái | creative genius | |
| 才艺 | cáiyì | talent | |
| 才华横溢 | cáihuáhéngyì | brimming over with talent (esp. literary); brilliant | |
| 奇才 | qícái | genius | |
| 蠢才 | chǔncái | variant of 蠢材[chun3 cai2] | |
| 才智 | cáizhì | ability and wisdom |
才 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 才
Learning 才 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 才
How many strokes are in 才?
才 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 才 mean?
才 (cái) means ability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable individual. A common word with it is 刚才 (gāngcái), meaning "just now; a moment ago".
How do you pronounce 才?
才 is pronounced cái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 才?
The radical of 才 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 才 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 才?
The traditional form of 才 is 纔. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 才 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 才 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 才 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Do I need 了 after a verb with 才?
Usually no. With 才 meaning 'not until', you normally drop 了, as in 他昨天才来 (tā zuótiān cái lái), not 他昨天才来了.
What does 刚才 mean and how is it different from 刚?
刚才 (gāngcái) means 'a moment ago' and is a time word that can go before the subject. 刚 (gāng) means 'just' and must go right before the verb, as in 我刚到 (wǒ gāng dào), I just arrived.