采 meaning and stroke order
To pick; to pluck; to collect
How to write 采, stroke by stroke
8 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 采
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pick
- to pluck
- to collect
- to select
- to choose
- to gather
- used in 采邑[cai4 yi4] and 采地[cai4 di4]
How 采 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hand picking 爫 fruit from a tree 木.
Radical: 釆 (to distinguish), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 采
The top part 爫 is a hand reaching down, and the bottom part 木 is a tree. A hand over a tree is picking fruit, so 采 (cǎi) means to pick or gather.
Today 采 (cǎi) appears mostly in compound words, from the literal 采集 (cǎijí, to gather) and 采矿 (cǎikuàng, mining) to the abstract 采取 (cǎiqǔ, to take measures) and 采用 (cǎiyòng, to adopt). Example: 记者采访了这位老师。(Jìzhě cǎifǎng le zhè wèi lǎoshī.) The reporter interviewed this teacher.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 采 (cǎi) with 菜 (cài, vegetable, dish), which simply adds the grass radical 艹 on top. They also mix up their tones: 采 is third tone, while 菜 is fourth tone.
Common words with 采
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 采取 | cǎiqǔ | to adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action); to take | HSK 3 |
| 采用 | cǎiyòng | to adopt; to employ | HSK 3 |
| 采访 | cǎifǎng | to interview; to gather news | HSK 4 |
| 采购 | cǎigòu | to procure (for an enterprise etc); to purchase | HSK 5 |
| 采纳 | cǎinà | to accept; to adopt | HSK 6 |
| 采集 | cǎijí | to gather; to collect | HSK 7-9 |
| 开采 | kāicǎi | to extract (ore or other resource from a mine); to exploit | HSK 7-9 |
| 采矿 | cǎikuàng | mining | HSK 7-9 |
| 风采 | fēngcǎi | svelte; elegant manner | HSK 7-9 |
| 无精打采 | wújīng-dǎcǎi | dispirited and downcast (idiom); listless; in low spirits | HSK 7-9 |
| 兴高采烈 | xìnggāo-cǎiliè | happy and excited (idiom); in high spirits | HSK 7-9 |
| 采取行动 | cǎiqǔxíngdòng | to take action; to adopt policies | |
| 采摘 | cǎizhāi | to pluck; to pick | |
| 采石场 | cǎishíchǎng | stone pit; quarry |
采 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 采
Learning 采 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 采
How many strokes are in 采?
采 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 采 mean?
采 (cǎi) means to pick; to pluck; to collect. 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 采?
采 is pronounced cǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 采?
The radical of 采 is 釆, which carries the idea of "to distinguish". Dictionaries list 采 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 采?
The traditional form of 采 is 採. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 采 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 采 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 采 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
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 you put to use, as in 采用新技术 (adopt new technology).
Is 采 ever pronounced cài?
Yes, but only in a few old terms such as 采邑 (càiyì) and 采地 (càidì), which refer to fiefs granted to nobles in ancient China. In everyday words, read it as cǎi.