才 cái only just

源How it came to be

A sprout breaking the surface, with the line of the ground drawn across it. Everything is still to come: the shoot has appeared and nothing more, which is exactly 'only just'.

用How it is used

• Marks something as late, small, or hard-won - 他才来 (tā cái lái) he's only just arrived (later than expected), 才五块钱 (cái wǔ kuài qián) only five yuan. The opposite feel to 就 (jiù, which marks 'as early/soon as'), 八点就来了 (bā diǎn jiù lái le) came as early as eight.
• In 只有…才… it means 'only then': 只有努力才行 (zhǐyǒu nǔlì cái xíng) only with effort will it work.
• Second sense = talent/ability - 人才 (réncái) a talent, 天才 (tiāncái) genius, 才华 (cáihuá) talent, 刚才 (gāngcái) just now.
• No 了 after 才 in the 'only just' sense: say 他才来, not 他才来了.

字Characters built with 才

• 在 at
• 存 exist
• 材 timber
• 团 sphere
• 荐 to recommend
• 闭 to shut
• 财 riches

词Words with 才

• 刚才gāngcáijust nowHSK 3
• 人才réncáitalentHSK 5
• 多才多艺duōcái-duōyìmultitalentedHSK 6
• 天才tiāncáitalentHSK 6
• 才华cáihuátalentHSK 6
• 才能cáinéngtalentHSK 6
• 口才kǒucáieloquenceHSK 7
• 成才chéngcáito make something of oneselfHSK 7
• 才干cáigànabilityHSK 7
• 德才兼备décái-jiānbèipossessing both integrity and talentHSK 8

句Example sentences

• 午饭才刚开始。 Wǔfàn cái gāng kāishǐ.Lunch has just started.
• 他不过才十岁。 Tā búguò cái shí suì.He is only ten years old.
• 他总是先想别人，其次才想到自己。 Tā zǒng shì xiān xiǎng biéren, qícì cái xiǎng dào zìjǐ.He always thinks of others first, then himself.
• 公司很重视人才。 Gōngsī hěn zhòngshì réncái.The company attaches great importance to human talent.