蔡 (cài) - Cai — a common Chinese surname & also refers to the ancient state of Cai

蔡Tone 4

cài ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

蔡 · cài

Cai — a common Chinese surname;

also refers to the ancient state of Cai;

turtle (archaic).

Cai — a common Chinese surnamealso refers to the ancient state of Caiturtle (archaic).

Usage highlights

Surname CaiAncient Cai stateCai familyCai LunCai XiangCai Tingkai

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is surnamed Cai (姓蔡).
  • Cai is one of the major surnames in Fujian (福建大姓).
  • The ancient state of Cai existed during the Zhou dynasty (蔡国).
  • Cai Lun is credited with inventing paper (蔡伦).

Collocations

  • Surname Cai(蔡姓)
  • Ancient Cai state(蔡国)
  • Cai family(蔡家)
  • Cai Lun(蔡伦)
  • Cai Xiang(蔡襄)
  • Cai Tingkai(蔡廷锴)

Idioms

  • Cai Chen's dream(蔡邕倒屣)
  • Above is Cai, below is Li(上蔡苍鹰)
  • Cai Ze's physiognomy(蔡泽看相)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most common Chinese surnames, ranking 34th in population.
  • Originated from the ancient state of Cai during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE).
  • The character originally depicted a ritual involving turtles for divination.

FAQ