采 is also the simplified spelling of 採.

采

Mandarin · pinyin cǎi#

Meanings · cǎi

  1. color
  2. complexion
  3. looks
  4. variant of 彩 cǎi
  5. variant of 採 cǎi
Mandarin · pinyin cài#

Meanings · cài

  1. used in 采邑 cài yì and 采地 cài dì
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Characters in this entry

采
cǎi · collect, gather; pick, pluck
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3 · cai3

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1character link12same-tone records2source references
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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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Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

coi2 · coi3

Cantonese word readings for 采. 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

  1. to pick; to pluck; to gather; to collect
  2. to pick; to choose; to select
  3. to mine; to dig
  4. to drag; to pull
  5. color
  6. colored silk
  7. literary talent
  8. luster
  9. beautiful in words but poor in content; using colorful language to cover up flaws
  10. expression; spirit; complexion
  11. wager; stake
  12. lucky (in gambling)
  13. oak
  14. to heed; to pay attention to
  15. official position
  16. vine; creeper
  17. (obsolete) thing; affair
  18. to exploit; to gain
  19. to accept
  20. currency
  21. tomb
  22. a surname

character · Etymology 1

  1. fief
  2. (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 菜 (cài)

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

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

采 · cai3 · cai4
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source lines 110,728, 110,729
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source records采 采 [cai3] /color/complexion/looks/variant of 彩[cai3]/variant of 採|采[cai3]/采 采 [cai4] /used in 采邑[cai4 yi4] and 采地[cai4 di4]/