才
Spell out: + =
ability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable individual; then and only then; just now; (before an expression of quantity) only; (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) really; actually
3 strokes
Dict coverage rank #795 U+624D
How 才 is formed
Ideographic compound (会意字)
A sprout growing in the ground, representing a budding talent
components: 扌
? unknown part
How to remember it
genius · Heisig RSH #620
— as a component also called: genie, genie in the bottle
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Characters built with 才 as their sound component
These characters all use 才 (cái) as their phonetic component — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 才 sound component | cái | ability, talent, gift; just, only |
| 在 | zài | at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense |
| 存 | cún | to exist; to survive, to maintain; to keep, to store; to deposit |
| 财 | cái | riches, wealth, valuables |
| 材 | cái | timber; material, stuff; talent |
| 豺 | chái | wolf; cruel, mean, wicked |
Words containing 才
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不打不成才 | bù dǎ bù chéng cái | spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom) |
| 江南四大才子 | Jiāng nán sì dà cái zǐ | Four great southern talents of the Ming, namely: Tang Bohu 唐伯虎, Zhu Zhishan 祝枝山, Wen Zheng… |
| 秀才不出门，全知天下事 | xiù cai bù chū mén , quán zhī tiān xià shì | a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom) |
| 自学成才 | zì xué chéng cái | a self-made genius |
| 秀才不出门，能知天下事 | xiù cai bù chū mén , néng zhī tiān xià shì | a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom) |
| 大才小用 | dà cái xiǎo yòng | variant of 大材小用[da4 cai2 xiao3 yong4] |
| 人才外流 | rén cái wài liú | brain drain |
| 才气过人 | cái qì guò rén | an outstanding talent (idiom); surpassing insight and acumen |
| 高才生 | gāo cái shēng | variant of 高材生[gao1 cai2 sheng1] |
| 人才流失 | rén cái liú shī | brain drain; outflow of talent |
| 女子无才便是德 | nǚ zǐ wú cái biàn shì dé | a woman's virtue is to have no talent (idiom) |
| 博学多才 | bó xué duō cái | (idiom) erudite and multitalented; versatile and able |
| 有才干 | yǒu cái gàn | capable |
| 真才实学 | zhēn cái shí xué | solid learning; real ability and learning; genuine talent |
| 才高八斗 | cái gāo bā dǒu | (idiom) of great talent |
| 八斗之才 | bā dǒu zhī cái | see 才高八斗[cai2 gao1 ba1 dou3] |
| 才识过人 | cái shí guò rén | an outstanding talent (idiom); surpassing insight and acumen |
| 不才 | bù cái | untalented; I; me (humble) |
| 才不 | cái bù | by no means; definitely not; as if!; yeah right! |
| 才子 | cái zǐ | gifted scholar |