Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
材
cái
Description
“材”常常指做东西用的东西,比如木头。
"材" often refers to materials used for making things, such as wood.
它也可以说一个人有能力,很多词里都有这个字,比如“人材”和“材料”。
It can also mean a person's ability; many words contain this character, like "人材" and "材料".
Meanings
材料cáiliào
material; raw stuff for making things
我们买了很多木材。
We bought a lot of timber.
人材réncái
talented or capable person
这家公司需要好的人材。
This company needs good talent.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
木 (wood) + 才 (phonetic), originally meaning timber for building.
- Nuance
材 rarely stands alone; it appears in compounds like 材料, 木材, 教材.
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