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See also: , , , and 𬺱

U+624D, 才
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-624D

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

Translingual

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Stroke order

Han character

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Traditional
Simplified
Japanese
Korean

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

Derived characters

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References

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  • 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

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Glyph origin

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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) — a sharp peg. Same as and . See also the top component of 𢦏.

Xu Shen erroneously analyzed this character as a sprout growing from the ground.

Etymology 1

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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”). Cognate with 子 ("son").

Derivatives: (OC *zlɯː, “material; timber”), (OC *zlɯː, “riches; property; money”), and 存 ("to exist").

Pronunciation

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Note:
  • cài - vernacular;
  • chài - literary (奴才);
  • còi - vernacular (秀才).
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/
Bernhard
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

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  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

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Etymology 2

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trad. /*
simp.
alternative forms

Pronunciation

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

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/
Bernhard
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

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  1. only; just; merely
    教室 [MSC, trad.]
    教室 [MSC, simp.]
    Jiàoshì lǐ cái wǔ ge rén. [Pinyin]
    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

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Compounds

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Etymology 3

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simp. and trad.
alternative forms Eastern Min



Possibly from (“just”) (Taiwan MoE).

Pronunciation

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Definitions

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(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

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  • (just now):
  • (only then):

Compounds

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Further reading

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Etymology 4

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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

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

Etymology 6

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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 ).

References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. age
  2. years old

Readings

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  • Go-on: ざい (zai)
  • Kan-on: さい (sai, Jōyō)
  • Kun: わずかに (wazukani)ざえ (zae, )かど (kado, )

Compounds

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
さい
Grade: 2
kan'on

Noun

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(さい) (sai

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

Etymology 2

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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

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Hanja

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(eumhun 재주 (jaeju jae))

  1. hanja form? of (talent)

Vietnamese

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Han character

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: Hán Nôm readings: tài

  1. ability; talent