才

Meaning(adverb, conjunction, noun)

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

Examples

• 他十点才起床。

  tā shí diǎn cái qǐ chuáng.

  He didn't get up until ten.

• 我才学了三个月汉语。

  wǒ cái xué le sān gè yuè hàn yǔ.

  I've only been studying Chinese for three months.

• 你怎么现在才来？

  nǐ zěn me xiàn zài cái lái?

  Why are you only getting here now?

Easily confused

• 就 — 才 stresses late/difficult (十点才来); 就 stresses early/easy (八点就来了).

Written with AI, waiting for a teacher's review.