See also: , , and
U+624D, 才
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-624D

[U+624C]
CJK Unified Ideographs
[U+624E]

Translingual edit

Stroke order
 

Han character edit

(Kangxi radical 64, +0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 木竹 (DH), four-corner 40200, composition 𬺰丿(GHTV) or 𬺰丿(JK))

Derived characters edit

References edit

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 416, character 30
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 11769
  • Dae Jaweon: page 763, character 1
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1824, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+624D

Chinese edit

Glyph origin edit

Historical forms of the character
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
       

Pictogram (象形) – sprouting of seeds.

Etymology 1 edit

simp. and trad.

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *tsa ~ za (child, offspring, relatives; to come forth (as child at birth); to love; loving) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007). "Birth" and "natural characteristic / endowments" are semantically connected, compare (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “live, give birth”) and its derivative (OC *sleŋs, “nature; character; personality; quality”) & (OC *sleŋs, “family name”).

Derivatives: (OC *zlɯː, “material; timber”), (OC *zlɯː, “riches; property; money”).

Pronunciation edit


Note:
  • cài - vernacular;
  • chài - literary (奴才);
  • còi - vernacular (秀才).
  • Southern Min
  • Note:
    • châi - vernacular;
    • chhâi - literary (classifier).
    Note: zai5 - used in 秀才.

    Rime
    Character
    Reading # 1/2
    Initial () (15)
    Final () (41)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division () I
    Fanqie
    Baxter dzoj
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang
    /d͡zʌi/
    Pan
    Wuyun
    /d͡zəi/
    Shao
    Rongfen
    /d͡zɒi/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank
    /d͡zəj/
    Li
    Rong
    /d͡zᴀi/
    Wang
    Li
    /d͡zɒi/
    Bernard
    Karlgren
    /d͡zʱɑ̆i/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex
    cái
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex
    coi4
    BaxterSagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)
    cái
    Middle
    Chinese
    ‹ dzoj ›
    Old
    Chinese
    /*[dz]ˁə/
    English talent, ability

    Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

    * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
    * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
    * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
    * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

    * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character
    Reading # 1/2
    No. 1061
    Phonetic
    component
    Rime
    group
    Rime
    subdivision
    0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese
    /*zlɯː/

    Definitions edit

    1. ability; gift; talent; capability
      alt. forms: (cái)
    2. talented person; talent
    3. one with a certain status or background
    4. Alternative form of (cái, material)
    5. (Southern Min) Alternative form of (classifier for volume (of wood) and area (of paper, glass, stone, curtain, etc.))
    6. a surname

    Compounds edit

    Etymology 2 edit

    trad. /*
    simp.

    Pronunciation edit


    Note:
    • chăi - vernacular;
    • chài - literary.
  • Wu

  • Rime
    Character
    Reading # 1/2 2/2
    Initial () (15) (15)
    Final () (41) (41)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open Open
    Division () I I
    Fanqie
    Baxter dzoj dzojH
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang
    /d͡zʌi/ /d͡zʌiH/
    Pan
    Wuyun
    /d͡zəi/ /d͡zəiH/
    Shao
    Rongfen
    /d͡zɒi/ /d͡zɒiH/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank
    /d͡zəj/ /d͡zəjH/
    Li
    Rong
    /d͡zᴀi/ /d͡zᴀiH/
    Wang
    Li
    /d͡zɒi/ /d͡zɒiH/
    Bernard
    Karlgren
    /d͡zʱɑ̆i/ /d͡zʱɑ̆iH/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex
    cái zài
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex
    coi4 zoi6
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character
    Reading # 1/2 2/2
    No. 1061 1220
    Phonetic
    component
    Rime
    group
    Rime
    subdivision
    0 0
    Corresponding
    MC rime
    Old
    Chinese
    /*zlɯː/ /*zlɯːs/

    Definitions edit

    1. only; just; merely
      教室教室  ―  Jiàoshì lǐ cái wǔ ge rén.  ―  There are only five people in the classroom.
      1. Used in the 才……就…… structure; only; just
        點鐘起床 [MSC, trad.]
        点钟起床 [MSC, simp.]
        Cái wǔ diǎnzhōng tā jiù qǐchuáng le. [Pinyin]
        It's only five o'clock, yet he has already got up.
    2. only a short while ago; just
      錯過什麼 [MSC, trad.]
      错过什么 [MSC, simp.]
      cái lái, cuòguò shénme le ma? [Pinyin]
      I just arrived. What did I miss?
      Synonym:
    3. only after; only then; not ... until
      所有窗戶睡覺 [MSC, trad.]
      所有窗户睡觉 [MSC, simp.]
      Tā suǒ shàng suǒyǒu de chuānghù cái qù shuìjiào. [Pinyin]
      She went to sleep only after locking all the windows.
      怎麼現在小時 [MSC, trad.]
      怎么现在小时 [MSC, simp.]
      Nǐ zěnme xiànzài cái dào. Wǒ děng le yī ge duō xiǎoshí le. [Pinyin]
      Why didn't you come until now? I've been waiting for more than an hour.
    4. Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
      張三张三  ―  cái shì Zhāng Sān.  ―  I'm Zhang San (not that someone else is Zhang San).
      沒有騙人没有骗人  ―  cái méiyǒu piànrén.  ―  I'm not lying.

    Synonyms edit

    Compounds edit

    Etymology 3 edit

    simp. and trad.
    alternative forms Eastern Min



    Possibly from (“just”) (Taiwan MoE).

    Pronunciation edit

    Definitions edit

    (Min)

    1. only; merely
    2. just; just now; a moment ago
      𡅏電影 [Eastern Min, trad.]
      𡅏电影 [Eastern Min, simp.]
      Ciáh káng lā̤ diêng-īng. / [t͡siɑʔ²⁴ kʰɑŋ²¹³ l̃ɛ³³ tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ (Ø-)ŋiŋ³³] [Bàng-uâ-cê / IPA]
      [I] just watched a movie.
    3. only then; only after
    4. Used to emphasize that something is/is not.

    Synonyms edit

    • (just now):
    • (only then):

    Compounds edit

    Further reading edit

    Etymology 4 edit

    For pronunciation and definitions of – see (“(Wu) all; completely; each and every one out of a determinate quantity; always; under all circumstances”).
    (This character is a variant form of ).

    Etymology 5 edit

    For pronunciation and definitions of – see (“begin, commence; etc.”).
    (This character is a variant form of ).

    Etymology 6 edit

    For pronunciation and definitions of – see (“to exist; to be alive; to be at; to be in; to be located; etc.”).
    (This character is an ancient form of ).

    Japanese edit

    Kanji edit

    (grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    1. age
    2. years old

    Readings edit

    Compounds edit

    Etymology 1 edit

    Kanji in this term
    さい
    Grade: 2
    kan’on

    Noun edit

    (さい) (sai

    1. ability, talent, aptitude
    2. alternative form of the volumetric unit (しょう) (shō)

    Etymology 2 edit

    Kanji in this term
    さい
    Grade: 2
    kan’on
    For pronunciation and definitions of – see the following entry.
    さいS
    [suffix] [from early 800s] -year-old
    Alternative spelling
    サイ
    (This term, , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

    Korean edit

    Hanja edit

    (eumhun 재주 (jaeju jae))

    1. Hanja form? of (talent).

    Vietnamese edit

    Han character edit

    : Hán Nôm readings: tài

    1. ability; talent