How to say “only” in Chinese

才

cái

only (then); just

adverb · HSK 3 · topic “Seasons and time”

“Only” in Chinese is 才, cái: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

才 is read cái. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

cái — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

才

cái — only; talent

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “才”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 才. Tap the sound icon to listen.

刚才谁来了？gāngcáishéiláileWho came by just now?
他十点才来。tāshídiǎncáiláiHe didn't come until ten.
我直到昨天才知道wǒzhídàozuótiāncáizhīdàoI only found out yesterday.
只有医生同意，你才能出院。zhǐyǒuyīshēngtóngyì,nǐcáinéngchūyuànYou can leave the hospital only if the doctor agrees.
只有多练习才能说好zhǐyǒuduōliànxí,cáinéngshuōhǎoYou'll only speak well if you practice a lot.
我才不去呢！wǒcáibúqùneNo way am I going!

More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.

More words from the lesson “Early or late”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “only” in Chinese?

“Only” in Chinese is 才, pinyin cái.

What does 才 mean?

才 (cái) means “only (then); just”.

How do you write 才?

才 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 才?

才 is read cái. Tones: cái — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“only” in the lesson “Early or late”

This word is from the topic “Seasons and time” of HSK 3. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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