才

cái

HSK 3, 5

才 — cái

1. ability; talent

   他多才多艺，会唱歌也会画画。 tā duōcáiduōyì huì chànggē yě huì huàhuà — He is very talented in many ways; he can sing and paint.

2. a capable individual; sb of a certain type (e.g., 有才 a capable person)

   他是个有才的人，能独立完成任务。 tā shì gè yǒu cái de rén néng dúlì wánchéng rènwù — He is a capable person who can complete tasks independently.

3. then and only then; (marks necessary condition) only if; only then

   只有努力，才会有进步。 zhǐyǒu nǔlì cái huì yǒu jìnbù — Only with hard work will there be progress.

4. just now (a moment ago)

   我才看到他从门口走过。 wǒ cái kàndào tā cóng ménkǒu zǒuguò — I just saw him walk past the door.

5. only (used before expressions of quantity, e.g., 他才一岁 'he's only one year old')

   他才十岁，却很懂事。 tā cái shísuì què hěn dǒngshì — He's only ten years old, yet very sensible.