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talent, ability
他有很大的才能。
He has great talent.
only, just (emphasizing a small quantity or time)
我才吃了一点点。
I only ate a little bit.
measure word for people (used after numbers to count people)
我们有三才学生。
We have three students.
'才' as a measure word is more common in classical Chinese and formal contexts. In everyday speech, '个' is more frequently used.
When '才' means 'only' or 'just,' it is an adverb and often appears after the verb. When it means 'talent' or 'ability,' it is a noun.
The character '才' originally depicted a person holding a tool, symbolizing skill or ability.
When used as a measure word, '才' is often used after numbers to count people, though it is less common than '个' in modern usage.