才能

Chinese

Etymology 1

		ability; talent; endowment ability; talent; endowment; gift; an expert; only (then); only if; just	ability; can; may ability; can; may; capable; energy; able
trad. (才能)		才	能
simp. #(才能)		才	能

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): cáinéng

  (Zhuyin): ㄘㄞˊ ㄋㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): coi⁴ nang⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhòi-nèn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): coi² nen²

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): châi-lêng / châi-nn̂g

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cai⁵ nêng⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: cáinéng
    • Zhuyin: ㄘㄞˊ ㄋㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cáinéng
    • Wade–Giles: tsʻai²-nêng²
    • Yale: tsái-néng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsairneng
    • Palladius: цайнэн (cajnɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: coi⁴ nang⁴
    • Yale: chòih nàhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsoi⁴ nang⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: coi⁴ neng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹ nɐŋ²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhòi-nèn
    • Hakka Romanization System: coiˇ nenˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: coi² nen²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰoi̯¹¹ nen¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: coi² nen²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰoɪ¹¹ nən¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: châi-lêng
    • Tâi-lô: tsâi-lîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zaileeng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sai²⁴⁻²² liɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sai¹³⁻²² liɪŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sai²³⁻³³ liɪŋ²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sai²⁴⁻¹¹ liɪŋ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: châi-nn̂g
    • Tâi-lô: tsâi-nn̂g
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zainngg
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sai²⁴⁻²² nŋ̍²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cai⁵ nêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshâi nêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰai⁵⁵⁻¹¹ neŋ⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: dzoj nong

Rime
Character	才	能
Reading #	1/2	2/4
Initial (聲)	從 (15)	泥 (8)
Final (韻)	咍 (41)	登 (129)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	昨哉切	奴登切
Baxter	dzoj	nong
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡zʌi/	/nəŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡zəi/	/nəŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡zɒi/	/nəŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡zəj/	/nəŋ/
Li Rong	/d͡zᴀi/	/nəŋ/
Wang Li	/d͡zɒi/	/nəŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/d͡zʱɑ̆i/	/nəŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	cái	néng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	coi4	nang4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[dz]ˤə  nˤə(ʔ)/

  (Zhengzhang): /*zlɯː  nɯːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	才	能
Reading #	1/1	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	cái	néng
Middle Chinese	‹ dzoj ›	‹ nong ›
Old Chinese	/*[dz]ˁə/	/*nˁə(ʔ)/ (~ *nˁəŋ)
English	talent, ability	able; 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	才	能
Reading #	1/2	3/4
No.	1061	9415
Phonetic component	才	能
Rime group	之	蒸
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	裁	能
Old Chinese	/*zlɯː/	/*nɯːŋ/

Noun

才能

1. ability; talent; competence

Synonyms

• 一手
• 人才 (réncái)
• 伎倆／伎俩 (jìliǎng) (literary)
• 俊才 (jùncái)
• 兩手／两手 (liǎngshǒu)
• 力 (lì) (literary, or in compounds)
• 力量 (lìliàng)
• 功力 (gōnglì)
• 功夫 (gōngfu) (especially in martial arts)
• 天才 (tiāncái) (genius)
• 才具 (cáijù) (formal)
• 才力 (cáilì)
• 才器 (cáiqì) (literary)
• 才幹／才干 (cáigàn)
• 才情 (cáiqíng)
• 手段 (shǒuduàn)
• 手法 (shǒufǎ)
• 手眼 (shǒuyǎn)
• 手腕 (shǒuwàn)
• 手腕子 (shou³ onn³ zr) (Xiang)
• 才華／才华 (cáihuá)
• 技巧 (jìqiǎo)
• 把式 (bǎshì) (dialectal)
• 技能 (jìnéng)
• 技藝／技艺 (jìyì)
• 技術／技术 (jìshù)
• 招數／招数 (zhāoshù)
• 本事
• 本領／本领 (běnlǐng)
• 材幹／材干 (cáigān) (Classical Chinese)
• 能力 (nénglì)
• 能為／能为 (néngwéi) (literary, dialectal)
• 能耐 (néngnài) (colloquial)
• 能量 (néngliàng)
• 花頭／花头 (Wu)
• 著數／着数
• 解數／解数
• 資力／资力 (zīlì)
• 路數／路数 (lùshù)
• 身手 (shēnshǒu)
• 道行

 

Derived terms

• 才能幹濟／才能干济
• 特殊才能

 

Related terms

• 才學／才学 (cáixué)
• 才智 (cáizhì)
• 學問／学问 (xuéwèn)
• 智慧 (zhìhuì)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (才能):

• → Japanese: 才能(さいのう) (sainō)
• → Korean: 재능(才能) (jaeneung)
• → Vietnamese: tài năng (才能)

Etymology 2

		only; only if; only after only; only if; only after; not until	can; may; capable of
trad. (才能)		才	能
simp. #(才能)		才	能
alternative forms		纔能 archaic

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): cái néng

  (Zhuyin): ㄘㄞˊ ㄋㄥˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: cái néng
    • Zhuyin: ㄘㄞˊ ㄋㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cái néng
    • Wade–Giles: tsʻai² nêng²
    • Yale: tsái néng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsair neng
    • Palladius: цай нэн (caj nɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵/

Phrase

才能

1. only (someone) can (do something)
2. only (after some time or some event) can (someone do something)

   • 拿了東西來纔能放你去。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     拿了东西来才能放你去。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 儒林外史 (Rúlín Wàishǐ), 第51回

     Ná le dōngxī lái cái néng fàng nǐ qù. [Pinyin]

     Only after someone brings the thing here may I let go of you.

3. only (with something) can (someone do something)

   • 再讀書一事，必須有一二知己為伴，時常大家討論，才能進益。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     再读书一事，必须有一二知己为伴，时常大家讨论，才能进益。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 紅樓夢 (Hónglóumèng), 第7回

     Zài dúshū yī shì, bìxū yǒu yī èr zhījǐ wèi bàn, shícháng dàjiā tǎolùn, cái néng jìnyì. [Pinyin]

     And when it comes to studying, there has to be one or two confidants by your side, to oftenly discuss together, so that one can make some progress.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
才	能
さい Grade: 2	のう Grade: 5
on’yomi

Noun

才(さい)能(のう) • (sainō) 

1. ability, talent

   才能(さいのう)が貧(まず)しい

   sainō ga mazushii

   I'm poor in ability.

   才能(さいのう)を伸(の)ばす

   sainō o nobasu

   I will extend my abilities.

Korean

Hanja in this term
才	能

Noun

才能 • (jaeneung) (hangeul 재능)

1. Hanja form^? of 재능 (“talent, ability”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
才	能

Noun

才能

1. chữ Hán form of tài năng (“talent”).