才

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: 扌, オ, and 孑
才 U+624D, 才
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-624D
← 扌
[U+624C] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 扎 →
[U+624E]

Translingual[edit]

Stroke order

Han character[edit]

See images of
Radical 64 才

才 (Kangxi radical 64, 手+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 才
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (才) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
茬 *zraː, *zraːʔ, *ʔsrɯ, *zrɯ
材 *zlɯː
才 *zlɯː, *zlɯːs
財 *zlɯː
鼒 *zlɯː, *ʔslɯ
在 *zlɯːʔ, *zlɯːs
豺 *zrɯː

Pictogram (象形) – sprouting of seeds.

Etymology 1[edit]

simp. and trad.
 才

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 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “live, give birth”) and its derivative 性 (OC *sleŋs, “nature; character; personality; quality”) & 姓 (OC *sleŋs, “family name”).

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

Pronunciation[edit]

Note:
  • cài - vernacular;
  • chài - literary (奴才);
  • còi - vernacular (秀才).
  • Min Nan
    • Note:
    • châi - vernacular;
    • chhâi - literary (classifier).
    Note: zai5 - used in 秀才.
    Rime
    Character 才
    Reading # 1/2
    Initial (聲) 從 (15)
    Final (韻) 咍 (41)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø)
    Openness (開合) Open
    Division (等) I
    Fanqie 昨哉切
    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
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 才
    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 才
    Reading # 1/2
    No. 1061
    Phonetic
    component         		才
    Rime
    group         		之
    Rime
    subdivision         		0
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		裁
    Old
    Chinese         		/*zlɯː/

    Definitions[edit]

    才

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

    Compounds[edit]

    Etymology 2[edit]

    trad. 才/纔*
    simp. 才

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Note:
    • chăi - vernacular;
    • chài - literary.
  • Wu
    • Rime
    Character 才 才
    Reading # 1/2 2/2
    Initial (聲) 從 (15) 從 (15)
    Final (韻) 咍 (41) 咍 (41)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø) Departing (H)
    Openness (開合) Open Open
    Division (等) I I
    Fanqie 昨哉切 昨代切
    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 才 才
    Reading # 1/2 2/2
    No. 1061 1220
    Phonetic
    component         		才 才
    Rime
    group         		之 之
    Rime
    subdivision         		0 0
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		裁 載
    Old
    Chinese         		/*zlɯː/ /*zlɯːs/

    Definitions[edit]

    才

    1. only; just; merely
      教室裡才五個人。／教室里才五个人。  ―  Jiàoshì lǐ cái wǔ ge rén.  ―  There are only five people in the classroom.
      1. Used in the 才……就…… structure; only; just
        才五點鐘他就起床了。 [MSC, trad.]
        才五点钟他就起床了。 [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
      我才來，錯過什麼了嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
      我才来，错过什么了吗？ [MSC, simp.]
      Wǒ cái lái, cuòguò shénme le ma? [Pinyin]
      I just arrived. What did I miss?
      Synonym: 剛／刚
    3. only after; only then; not ... until
      她鎖上所有的窗戶才去睡覺。 [MSC, trad.]
      她锁上所有的窗户才去睡觉。 [MSC, simp.]
      Tā suǒ shàng suǒyǒu de chuānghù cái qù shuìjiào. [Pinyin]
      She went to sleep only after locking all the windows.
      你怎麼現在才到。我等了一個多小時了。 [MSC, trad.]
      你怎么现在才到。我等了一个多小时了。 [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.
      我才是張三。／我才是张三。  ―  Wǒ cái shì Zhāng Sān.  ―  I'm Zhang San (not that someone else is Zhang San).
      我才沒有騙人。／我才没有骗人。  ―  Wǒ cái méiyǒu piànrén.  ―  I'm not lying.

    Synonyms[edit]

    Dialectal synonyms of 才 (“only after; only then; not ... until”) [map]
    Variety Location Words
    Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 才2, 方, 始, 方才
    Mandarin Taiwan 才2
    Singapore 才2
    Cantonese Guangzhou 先, 至, 先至
    Hong Kong 先, 至, 先至
    Hakka Meixian 正
    Min Nan Xiamen 才3
    Quanzhou 才3
    Zhangzhou 才3
    Singapore (Hokkien) 才3
    Manila (Hokkien) 才3
    Shantou 正
    Singapore (Teochew) 正
    Wu Shanghai 再, 才
    Suzhou 再
    Xiang Changsha 才至

    Compounds[edit]

    Etymology 3[edit]

    simp. and trad.
    		 才
    alternative forms 乍 Min Dong
    則／则
    即
    者
    隻／只

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

    Pronunciation[edit]

    Definitions[edit]

    才 (Min)

    1. only; merely
    2. just; just now; a moment ago
      才看𡅏電影。 [Min Dong, trad.]
      才看𡅏电影。 [Min Dong, 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):
    Dialectal synonyms of 才 (“only after; only then; not ... until”) [map]
    Variety Location Words
    Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 才2, 方, 始, 方才
    Mandarin Taiwan 才2
    Singapore 才2
    Cantonese Guangzhou 先, 至, 先至
    Hong Kong 先, 至, 先至
    Hakka Meixian 正
    Min Nan Xiamen 才3
    Quanzhou 才3
    Zhangzhou 才3
    Singapore (Hokkien) 才3
    Manila (Hokkien) 才3
    Shantou 正
    Singapore (Teochew) 正
    Wu Shanghai 再, 才
    Suzhou 再
    Xiang Changsha 才至

    Compounds[edit]

    Further reading[edit]

    Etymology 4[edit]

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

    Etymology 5[edit]

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

    Etymology 6[edit]

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

    Japanese[edit]

    Traditional 歲
    Shinjitai 歳
    Simplified 岁

    Kanji[edit]

    才

    (grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

    1. age
    2. years old

    Readings[edit]

    Compounds[edit]

    Etymology 1[edit]

    Kanji in this term
    才
    さい
    Grade: 2
    kan’on

    Noun[edit]

    才(さい) • (sai) 

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

    Etymology 2[edit]

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

    Korean[edit]

    Hanja[edit]

    才 (eumhun 재주 재 (jaeju jae))

    1. Hanja form? of 재 (“talent”).

    Vietnamese[edit]

    Han character[edit]

    才: Hán Nôm readings: tài

    1. ability; talent
    Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=才&oldid=76252921"