Usage of the character 才

ability; talent
sb of a certain type
a capable individual
then and only then
just now
(before an expression of quantity) only

cái

才

[纔]

(variant of 才 (cái)) just now
(variant of 才 (cái)) (before an expression of quantity) only

qūcái

屈才

[屈才]

to waste talent

qícái

奇才

[奇才]

genius

guǐcái

鬼才

[鬼才]

creative genius

cáixué

才学

[才學]

talent and learning
scholarship

cáishí

才识

[才識]

ability and insight

núcai

奴才

[奴才]

slave
fig. flunkey

zhēngcái

征才

[徵才]

to recruit

gàncái

干才

[幹才]

ability
capable

gāocái

高才

[高才]

great talent; rare capability
person of outstanding ability

cáibù

才不

[才不]

by no means
definitely not
as if!
yeah right!

Bìcái

比才

[比才]

Bizet (name)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875), French musician, composer of opera Carmen

cáigàn

才干

[才幹]

ability
competence

tiāncái

天才

[天才]

talent
gift
genius
talented
gifted

kǒucái

口才

[口才]

eloquence

décái

德才

[德才]

ethics and ability
virtuous and talented

bùcái

不才

[不才]

untalented
I
me (humble)

quècái

却才

[卻才]

just now

yōngcái

庸才

[庸才]

mediocrity

cáiqì

才气

[才氣]

talent (usually literary or artistic)

cáihuá

才华

[才華]

talent
CL:份 (fèn)

yìcái

异才

[異才]

extraordinary talent

màocái

茂才

[茂才]

see 秀才 (xiùcai)

duōcái

多才

[多才]

multitalented

tōngcái

通才

[通才]

polymath
all-round person

cáidé

才德

[才德]

talent and virtue

cáiyì

才艺

[才藝]

talent

shìcái

适才

[適才]

just now; a moment ago (often used in the early vernacular)

gāngcái

刚才

[剛才]

just now
a moment ago

cáilüè

才略

[才略]

ability and sagacity

chéngcái

成才

[成才]

to make sth of oneself
to become a person who is worthy of respect

xiùcai

秀才

[秀才]

a person who has passed the county level imperial exam (historical)
scholar
skillful writer
fine talent

réncái

人才

[人才]

talent
talented person
looks
attractive looks

cáinéng

才能

[才能]

talent
ability
capacity

cáizhì

才智

[才智]

ability and wisdom

shēncái

身才

[身才]

stature
build (height and weight)
figure

fāngcái

方才

[方才]

just now
then

cáizǐ

才子

[才子]

gifted scholar

jiàngcái

将才

[將才]

talented field commander (military)

cáirán

才然

[纔然]

just recently
just a moment ago
just now

chǔncái

蠢才

[蠢才]

variant of 蠢材 (chǔncái)

cáisī

才思

[才思]

imaginative power
creativeness

shícái

识才

[識才]

to recognize talent

gāngcái

刚才

[剛纔]

just now (variant of 剛才／刚才 (gāngcái))

cáinü

才女

[才女]

talented girl

xiáncái

贤才

[賢才]

a genius
a talented person

biàncái

辩才

[辯才]

eloquence

cáifèn

才分

[才分]

ability
talent
gift

quáncái

全才

[全才]

all-rounder
versatile

piāncái

偏才

[偏才]

talent in a particular area

cáiguài

才怪

[才怪]

it'd be a wonder if... (following a verb phrase that is usually negative)

guàicái

怪才

[怪才]

eccentric genius; quirky genius

àicái

爱才

[愛才]

to value talent; to cherish talented people

cáiyìxiù

才艺秀

[才藝秀]

talent show

gāocáishēng

高才生

[高才生]

student of great ability
talented student

guǐcáixìn

鬼才信

[鬼才信]

who would believe it!
what rubbish!

yǒucáigàn

有才干

[有才幹]

capable

biàncáitiān

辩才天

[辯才天]

Saraswati (the Hindu goddess of wisdom and arts and consort of Lord Brahma)

Féng Jìcái

冯骥才

[馮驥才]

Feng Jicai (1942-), novelist from Tianjin, author of Extraordinary people in our ordinary world 俗世奇人

jiāréncáizǐ

佳人才子

[佳人才子]

lit. beautiful lady, gifted scholar (idiom)
fig. pair of ideal lovers

cōngmingcáizhì

聪明才智

[聰明才智]

intelligence and ability

xióngcáidàlüè

雄才大略

[雄才大略]

great skill and strategy

shícáizūnxián

识才尊贤

[識才尊賢]

to recognize talent and have great respect for it

cáijiānwénwǔ

才兼文武

[才兼文武]

talent in both military and civil field (idiom)

rénjìnqícái

人尽其才

[人盡其才]

employ one's talent to the fullest
everyone gives of their best

huáicáibùyù

怀才不遇

[懷才不遇]

to have talent but no opportunity (idiom)
to be an unrecognized talent

bóxuéduōcái

博学多才

[博學多才]

erudite and multitalented (idiom); versatile and able

réncáiwàiliú

人才外流

[人才外流]

brain drain

shìcái'àowù

恃才傲物

[恃才傲物]

(idiom) to be inordinately proud of one's ability; to be conceited and contemptuous

cáihuágàishì

才华盖世

[才華蓋世]

peerless talent (idiom); incomparable artistic merit

cáigāobādǒu

才高八斗

[才高八斗]

of great talent (idiom)

cáiyìjìnéng

才艺技能

[才藝技能]

talent

dēngyōngréncái

登庸人才

[登庸人才]

to employ talent (idiom)

zhēncáishíxué

真才实学

[真才實學]

solid learning
real ability and learning
genuine talent

shíduōcáiguǎng

识多才广

[識多才廣]

knowledgeable and versatile

cáishíguòrén

才识过人

[才識過人]

an outstanding talent (idiom)
surpassing insight and acumen

cáihuáchūzhòng

才华出众

[才華出眾]

outstanding talent (idiom); incomparable artistic merit

àicáiruòkě

爱才若渴

[愛才若渴]

(idiom) to be eager to surround oneself with talented people

cáimàoshuāngquán

才貌双全

[才貌雙全]

talented and good-looking (idiom)

tōngcáijiàoyù

通才教育

[通才教育]

liberal education
general education

tiāndùyīngcái

天妒英才

[天妒英才]

heaven is jealous of heroic genius (idiom); the great have great hardship to contend with
those whom the Gods love die young

lángcáinümào

郎才女貌

[郎才女貌]

talented man and beautiful woman
ideal couple

zìxuéchéngcái

自学成才

[自學成才]

a self-made genius

dàcáixiǎoyòng

大才小用

[大才小用]

lit. making little use of great talent
to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

cáishūxuéqiǎn

才疏学浅

[才疏學淺]

(humble expr.) of humble talent and shallow learning (idiom); Pray forgive my ignorance,...

cáiqìguòrén

才气过人

[才氣過人]

an outstanding talent (idiom)
surpassing insight and acumen

Jiānglángcáijìn

江郎才尽

[江郎才盡]

Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent (idiom)
fig. to have used up one's creative powers
to have writer's block

liàngcáilùyòng

量才录用

[量才錄用]

to assess sb's capabilities and employ him accordingly (idiom); to employ sb competent for the task

décáijiānbèi

德才兼备

[德才兼備]

having both integrity and talent (idiom)

náncáinümào

男才女貌

[男才女貌]

talented man and beautiful woman
ideal couple

chūlùcáihuá

初露才华

[初露才華]

first sign of budding talent
to display one's ability for the first time

zhuānyèréncái

专业人才

[專業人才]

expert (in a field)

réncáiliúshī

人才流失

[人才流失]

brain drain
outflow of talent

shèjiāocáinéng

社交才能

[社交才能]

social accomplishment

duōcáiduōyì

多才多艺

[多才多藝]

multitalented

réncáijǐjǐ

人才济济

[人才濟濟]

a galaxy of talent (idiom)
a great number of competent people

cáihuáhéngyì

才华横溢

[才華橫溢]

brimming over with talent (esp. literary)
brilliant

cáizǐjiārén

才子佳人

[才子佳人]

lit. gifted scholar, beautiful lady (idiom)
fig. pair of ideal lovers

bùdǎbùchéngcái

不打不成才

[不打不成才]

spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)

Jiāngnánsìdàcáizǐ

江南四大才子

[江南四大才子]

Four great southern talents of the Ming, namely: Tang Bohu 唐伯虎, Zhu Zhishan 祝枝山, Wen Zhengming 文徵明／文征明 and Xu Zhenqing 徐禎卿／徐祯卿

nüzǐwúcáibiànshìdé

女子无才便是德

[女子無才便是德]

a woman's virtue is to have no talent (idiom)

xiùcaibùchūmén,quánzhītiānxiàshì

秀才不出门，全知天下事

[秀才不出門，全知天下事]

a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom)

xiùcaibùchūmén,néngzhītiānxiàshì

秀才不出门，能知天下事

[秀才不出門，能知天下事]

a learned person need not leave his home to know what's going on in the world (idiom)