才
Meanings
- ability
- talent
- sb of a certain type
- a capable individual
- only
- only then
- just now
- a surname
- certainly
- indeed
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 才 cái CC-CEDICT · Mandarinability; 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
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: cai2. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 15 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
coi4
Cantonese word readings for 才. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
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
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack