The character 才 — “only”: how to write it and what it means
only; talent
The Chinese character 才 is read cái and means “only; talent”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 才
才 has 3 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 才, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 才
- 刚才just nowHSK 3
- 人才talented people, talentHSK 5
- 天才genius, talentHSK 6
- 才华talent, gift (creative)HSK 6
- 才能ability, talentHSK 6
- 多才多艺versatile, multitalentedHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 才?
才 has 3 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 才 mean?
才 means “only; talent”. It appears in 刚才 (“just now”), 人才 (“talented people”), 天才 (“genius”), 才华 (“talent”).
How do you pronounce 才?
才 is read cái. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 才 have?
3 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 才 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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