纔 meaning and stroke order
Talent, ability; only, just
How to write 纔, stroke by stroke
23 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 纔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (variant of 才[cai2]) just now
- (variant of 才[cai2]) (before an expression of quantity) only
How 纔 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 毚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 纔
纔 has the silk radical 糹 (thread) on the left and 毚 on the right as a sound hint. Picture a single thin thread: you have only just a little, which links to the meanings "only" and "just now".
纔 is an older traditional variant of 才 (cái) used for "just now" or "only". Today it shows up mainly in older texts or formal traditional writing. Even in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 才 is far more common. Example: 他纔來。(Tā cái lái.) He only just arrived.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes think 纔 also means "talent", but the dictionary senses list only "just now" and "only". For "talent" you write 才, as in 人才 (réncái). Also check the tone: it is second tone cái, not cǎi as in 彩 or cài as in 菜.
Questions about 纔
How many strokes are in 纔?
纔 is written with 23 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 纔 mean?
纔 (cái) means talent, ability; only, just.
How do you pronounce 纔?
纔 is pronounced cái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 纔?
The radical of 纔 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 纔 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 纔?
纔 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 才, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Should I write 纔 or 才 in modern Chinese?
Write 才 in almost all cases. 纔 is a variant of 才 for the adverb senses, and you will mostly meet it when reading older or classical style texts.
How is 纔 used before a number?
Placed before an expression of quantity, it means "only", showing the amount is small. For example, 纔三個人 (cái sān gè rén) means "only three people".