(preceded by a clause of condition or reason) not until
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Easy
才
cái
(followed by a numerical clause) only
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Easy
才
cái
ability, talent, gift; just, only
HSK 3, d, 3 strokes, radical 扌, rank #120, Easy
cái(cai2) T2
1ability
2talent
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March 24, 2026
才cái(cai2)
The character 才 (cái) primarily denotes talent or ability, often used to describe someone skilled or capable. Additionally, it can indicate a sense of limitation or exclusivity, as in 'only' or 'just now' when used in certain contexts. This dual meaning makes it versatile in expressions of capability and temporal references.
Strokes3Radical扌Frequency#120DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, talent and ability are highly valued, often reflected in traditional arts and crafts. The concept of 才 embodies not just individual skill, but also the collective appreciation of craftsmanship in cultural heritage.
Memory Tip
Imagine a talented artist (才) who only paints when inspired. The character 才 combines a person holding a tool (the top part resembles a person's head with a tool above) to symbolize their ability, while 'cái' sounds like 'sigh'—as if you sigh in admiration of their talent.
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AI Study Notes for 才
Quick Contrast
才 (cái) vs 仅 (jǐn) — use 才 when emphasizing talent or ability, while 仅 focuses on limitation or exclusivity without the connotation of skill.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a talented artist (才) who only paints when inspired. The character 才 combines a person holding a tool (the top part resembles a person's head with a tool above) to symbolize their ability, while 'cái' sounds like 'sigh'—as if you sigh in admiration of their talent.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 才 with similar characters like 只 (zhǐ), which also means 'only.' Remember that 才 emphasizes ability or a specific condition being met before something occurs. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can appear in more formal writing depending on the sentence structure.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 3 word, 才 connects well with other words that indicate ability or time, such as 能 (néng, can) and 刚 (gāng, just). Focus on using 才 in sentences where you want to express capability or time-related contexts to solidify understanding.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, talent and ability are highly valued, often reflected in traditional arts and crafts. The concept of 才 embodies not just individual skill, but also the collective appreciation of craftsmanship in cultural heritage.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 才 in contexts where 只 should be used, such as '我只有去' (wǒ zhǐyǒu qù) instead of '我才去' (wǒ cái qù), which incorrectly implies capability instead of limitation.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 才
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Pictograph of a small plant starting to emerge from the ground. Based on the original meaning "to sprout". The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "talent".
Memory Hint
A sprout growing in the ground, representing a budding talent
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Practice writing 才 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 才
才 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 11 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
The intellect is not the most important thing in life.
8
我并不认为他们仅仅是为了吸引媒体的目光才把它搞得有声有色的。
wǒ bìng bù rèn wéi tā mén jǐn jǐn shì wéi le xī yǐn méi tǐ de mù guāng cái bǎ tā gǎo dé yǒu shēng yǒu sè de。
I don't think they're just jazzing it up for the media.
9
音乐节一直是新秀展示才华的宝贵机会。
yīn lè jié yī zhí shì xīn xiù zhǎn shì cái huá de bǎo guì jī huì。
The festival remains a valuable showcase for new talent.
10
他们完全是凭体育特长才获得了大学奖学金。
tā mén wán quán shì píng tǐ yù tè cháng cái huò dé le dà xué jiǎng xué jīn。
They have been given college scholarships purely on athletic ability.
Cultural Notes for 才
💡Did you know?
'才' is often used in Chinese to express that someone has a particular talent or ability. This reflects the cultural value placed on skill and education in Chinese society.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, talent and ability are highly valued, often reflected in traditional arts and crafts. The concept of 才 embodies not just individual skill, but also the collective appreciation of craftsmanship in cultural heritage.
Word Family of 才
Compounds10
闭bi4to close
团tuan2round
财cai2money
材cai2material
豺chai2wolf; cruel, mean, wicked
鼒
犲
財cai2riches, wealth, valuables
釮
閉bi4to shut, to close; to obstruct, to block
Words Containing This Character20
才cáiability
刚才gāngcáijust now剛才
才能cáinéngtalent
人才réncáitalent
天才tiāncáitalent
才华cáihuátalent才華
方才just now
奇才genius
才华横溢brilliant才華橫溢
口才kǒucáieloquence
奴才slave
才艺talent才藝
才干cáigànability才幹
成才chéngcáito make sth of oneself
秀才scholar
才智ability and wisdom
才女talented girl
才子gifted scholar
聪明才智intelligence and wisdom聰明才智
多才多艺multi-talented多才多藝
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 闭 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 才
才 (cái) and 只 (zhǐ) both convey the idea of 'only', but they have different nuances. 才 emphasizes a sense of limitation or a condition that has just been met, while 只 is more straightforward, simply indicating 'only' without any additional implications. For example, '我只想要一个' (wǒ zhǐ xiǎng yào yīgè) means 'I only want one,' whereas '我才开始学习' (wǒ cái kāishǐ xuéxí) means 'I only just started learning.'
才 (cái) can mean 'ability' or 'talent' when referring to someone's skills. It can also imply 'only' or 'only then' in certain contexts, indicating a limitation or a specific time when something occurs. Understanding its usage depends on the sentence structure and context.
You can use 才 (cái) in sentences to indicate when something happens 'only then' or to express someone's capability. For example, '我才明白' (wǒ cái míngbái) means 'I understand only now.' Additionally, it can describe someone's talent, as in '他是一个很有才华的人' (tā shì yīgè hěn yǒu cáihuá de rén), meaning 'He is a very talented person.'
Yes, while it is often used in informal contexts, 才 can also appear in formal writing, especially when discussing abilities or conditions.
While both mean 'only,' 才 emphasizes capability or a condition being met, whereas 只 simply indicates limitation without the ability context.
Yes, it appears in phrases like '才华' (cáihuá), meaning talent or capability.
