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才

Mandarin · pinyin cái

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

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才: cái · talent, ability; just, only

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2 · cai2

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1character link8same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

coi4

Cantonese word readings for 才. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

ability; gift; talent; capability
talented person; talent
one with a certain status or background
(alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 材 (cái, “material”)
(Southern Min) alternative form of 材 (“classifier for volume (of wood) and area (of paper, glass, stone, curtain, etc.)”)
a surname

character · Etymology 2

only; just; merely
only; just; merely — Used in the 才……就…… structure; only; just
only a short while ago; just
only after; only then; not ... until
Used to emphasize a statement.

character · Etymology 3

(Min) only; merely
(Min) just; just now; a moment ago
(Min) only then; only after
(Min) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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