采 (cǎi) - to pick & to gather

采Tone 3

cǎi ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 爫

偲嫦

采 · cǎi

to pick;

to gather;

to pluck;

to collect;

to select;

to choose;

also used in words for color, demeanor, and spirit.

to pickto gatherto pluck

Usage highlights

to pick teato gather newsto collect datato adopt measuresmining industryfacial expression

Synonyms

  • 摘— to pick; to pluck
  • 拾— to pick up; to collect
  • 选— to choose; to select

Antonyms

  • 弃— to abandon; to discard
  • 舍— to give up; to relinquish

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She is picking tea leaves (采茶).
  • We need to collect data (采集数据).
  • He was chosen as the representative (被采为代表).
  • The mineral resources are mined here (开采矿产资源).

Collocations

  • to pick tea(采茶)
  • to gather news(采访)
  • to collect data(采集)
  • to adopt measures(采取措施)
  • mining industry(采矿业)
  • facial expression(神采)

Idioms

  • Without any success(无精打采)
  • In high spirits(神采奕奕)
  • Elegant and graceful(风采动人)
  • To pick flowers and willows(采花问柳)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a hand picking fruits from a tree, representing the act of gathering and selecting.
  • Extended to mean 'color' or 'demeanor' in classical texts, as in 神采 (spirit and expression).
  • Used in the context of resource extraction, such as mining (采矿) and oil drilling (采油).

FAQ