Chinese–EnglishWith examples

才

cái · cai

Traditional 纔

HSK 2Old HSK 3

Meaning

CC-CEDICT

cái 才

  1. ability; talent
  2. sb of a certain type
  3. a capable individual
  4. then and only then
  5. just now
  6. (before an expression of quantity) only

cái 纔

  1. (variant of 才 (cái)) just now
  2. (variant of 才 (cái)) (before an expression of quantity) only
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In a conversation

0:18 cartoon

Seen only yesterday

  1. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)怎么(zěnme)十点(shídiǎn)才(cái)来(lái)？

    Why did you only arrive at ten?

  2. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)九点(jiǔdiǎn)才(cái)起床(qǐchuáng)。

    I only got up at nine.

  3. Liangliang

    我们(wǒmen)约(yuē)的(de)是(shì)八点(bādiǎn)！

    We agreed on eight!

  4. Dengdeng

    真的吗(zhēndema)？我(wǒ)昨天(zuótiān)才(cái)看到(kàndào)消息(xiāoxi)。

    Really? I only saw the message yesterday.

  5. Liangliang

    昨天(zuótiān)才(cái)看到(kàndào)？我(wǒ)上个星期(shànggèxīngqī)就(jiù)发(fā)了(le)。

    Only yesterday? I sent it last week.

  6. Dengdeng

    对不起(duìbuqǐ)，我(wǒ)一周(yīzhōu)才(cái)看(kàn)一次(yīcì)手机(shǒujī)。

    Sorry, I only check my phone once a week.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

杰(jié)夫(fū)找(zhǎo)了(le)三(sān)个(gè)月(yuè)以(yǐ)后(hòu)才(cái)找(zhǎo)到(dào)了(le)一(yí)份(fèn)工(gōng)作(zuò)。

Jeff searched for three months before he found a job.

Tatoeba: Chinese by ednorog · English by CN · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

他(tā)很(hěn)有(yǒu)才(cái)，什(shén)么(me)问(wèn)题(tí)都(dōu)能(néng)解(jiě)决(jué)。

He is very talented; he can solve any problem.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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