Fluentide
Fluentide for iOS is out — get the app
HSK 3

才

only then; not until; just

adverbneutral
才
cái2nd tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
cái
Part of speech
adverb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
3
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 才

才 is written with 3 strokes. The animation replays automatically.

What does 才 mean?

才 (cái) is a high-frequency Chinese adverb with two core feelings: 'later than expected' and 'only / merely.'

Pattern 1 — late timing: 他八点才来 ('he didn't arrive until 8 o'clock'), suggesting 8 was later than expected; compare with 他八点就来了 ('he came as early as 8'). Pattern 2 — small quantity: 我才十八岁 ('I'm only eighteen'). Pattern 3 — condition + result: 只有努力才能成功 ('only by trying hard can one succeed').

Two key differences from English: first, 才 carries a subjective tone — the speaker feels the timing was late or the amount was small. There is no neutral English equivalent that captures all three uses; second, sentences with 才 in the past tense do NOT take 了 (you say 他昨天才来, not 他昨天才来了), because 才 already conveys completion with the right feeling. 才 contrasts directly with 就 (jiù), which means 'as soon as / as early as.'

Example sentences

他十点才到。

Tā shí diǎn cái dào.

He didn't arrive until 10 o'clock.

neutral

我妹妹才八岁。

Wǒ mèimei cái bā suì.

My little sister is only eight.

spoken

做完作业才能看电视。

Zuò wán zuòyè cái néng kàn diànshì.

Only after finishing homework can you watch TV.

neutral

我现在才知道这件事。

Wǒ xiànzài cái zhīdao zhè jiàn shì.

I'm only just now finding out about this.

spoken

Common phrases with 才

才来cái láionly just came; came late
才几岁cái jǐ suìonly a few years old
才能cái néngonly then can / be able to
才知道cái zhīdaoonly just learned; didn't know until now
刚才gāngcáijust now (a moment ago)

Synonyms

只zhǐ

只 means 'only' for limiting scope or quantity: 我只有十块钱 (I only have 10 yuan). 才 in the 'only' sense adds emotion — 我才有十块钱 sounds like a complaint. 只 is neutral; 才 carries feeling.

刚gāng

刚 means 'just (a moment ago)' — 他刚来 (he just arrived). 才 is similar but slower / later in feeling — 他才来 means 'he finally came (later than expected).' 刚 is about recency; 才 is about being late.

Don't confuse 才 with

就jiù

就 is the opposite of 才 in timing sentences. 他六点就来了 (he came as early as 6) vs 他六点才来 (he didn't come until 6). 就 = early/soon/expected; 才 = late/finally/unexpected.

刚才gāngcái

刚才 is a noun meaning 'just now / a moment ago': 刚才你说什么 (what did you say just now?). 才 alone is an adverb. Don't confuse the two-character compound with the single-character adverb.

才能cáinéng

才能 as a single word means 'talent / ability' (noun) — 他很有才能 (he has great talent). When 才 + 能 appears as 'only then can,' it's the adverb 才 followed by the modal verb 能. Same syllables, different parsing.

FAQ

Acquire it by listening

Meet 才 again — in real Chinese, at your level.

Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 才 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.