Meaning
ability; talent; endowment; gift; an expert; only (then)
Chinese: 才能、刚刚或仅仅。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “cai” becomes a different word in each tone. 才 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 刚才gāng cáijust now; a moment ago
- 人才rén cáitalent; talented person; looks; attractive looks
- 才能cái néngtalent; ability; capacity
- 天才tiān cáitalent; gift; genius; talented
- 才华cái huátalent
Example Sentence
他努力学习，才考出了好成绩。Tā nǔ lì xué xí, cái kǎo chū le hǎo chéng jì.He studied hard, and only then got good grades.
他Tāhe努力nǔ lìhard-working学习xué xíto learn，才cáiability考kǎoto beat出chūto go out了le(completed action)好hǎogood成绩chéng jìachievement。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A pictograph of a sprout just breaking the ground — a beginning. Senses: ‘talent, ability; a talented person; only, merely; just now; not until then’ (才能, 刚才, 才来).
A way to remember it
‘Talent’; and the adverb ‘only just / not until’: 刚才, 才来.