採 meaning and stroke order
To collect, to gather; to pick, to pluck
How to write 採, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 採
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pick
- to pluck
- to collect
- to select
- to choose
- to gather
How 採 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 采 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 採
採 is a pictophonetic character: the hand radical 扌 on the left shows the meaning, and 采 (cǎi) on the right gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to pick fruit or leaves, which is the act of gathering.
採 is the traditional form of this word, and in simplified Chinese it is written 采. It appears in many common compounds about taking, choosing, or collecting, such as 采取 (cǎiqǔ), 采访 (cǎifǎng) and 采矿 (cǎikuàng). Example: 她去山上採茶。(Tā qù shān shàng cǎi chá.) She went up the mountain to pick tea.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 採 with 彩 (cǎi, color), which has the same sound but uses 彡 on the right side and means something colorful, as in 彩色 (cǎisè). Another trap is 踩 (cǎi, to step on), which has the foot radical 足 instead of the hand.
Common words with 採
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 採取 | cǎiqǔ | to adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action); to take | HSK 3 |
| 採用 | cǎiyòng | to adopt; to employ | HSK 3 |
| 採訪 | cǎifǎng | to interview; to gather news | HSK 4 |
| 採購 | cǎigòu | to procure (for an enterprise etc); to purchase | HSK 5 |
| 採納 | cǎinà | to accept; to adopt | HSK 6 |
| 採集 | cǎijí | to gather; to collect | HSK 7-9 |
| 開採 | kāicǎi | to extract (ore or other resource from a mine); to exploit | HSK 7-9 |
| 採礦 | cǎikuàng | mining | HSK 7-9 |
| 採取行動 | cǎiqǔxíngdòng | to take action; to adopt policies | |
| 採摘 | cǎizhāi | to pluck; to pick | |
| 採石場 | cǎishíchǎng | stone pit; quarry | |
| 採食 | cǎishí | to forage; to gather for eating |
Questions about 採
How many strokes are in 採?
採 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 採 mean?
採 (cǎi) means to collect, to gather; to pick, to pluck. A common word with it is 采取 (cǎiqǔ), meaning "to adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action); to take".
How do you pronounce 採?
採 is pronounced cǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 採?
The radical of 採 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 採 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 採?
採 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 采, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do the common words list 采 instead of 採?
In simplified Chinese, 採 was merged into 采, so mainland texts write 采取 and 采访. In Taiwan and Hong Kong you will see 採取 and 採訪 with the hand radical.
What is the difference between 采取 and 采用?
采取 (cǎiqǔ) usually goes with measures, actions, or attitudes, as in 采取措施 (take measures). 采用 (cǎiyòng) usually goes with methods, technology, or materials, as in 采用新技术 (adopt new technology).