才 cái – Disagreement

Grammar Point:
The word 才 cái in Chinese can be used in many ways, and one of its functions is to indicate a contrast or disagreement with a previous statement or assumption. When used in this way, 才 cái is often translated as “at all.”

Structure

Statement + 才 cái + Neg-

A: 台灣Táiwān物價wùjià那麼nàme便宜biànyí， 你們nǐmen應該yīnggāi很hěn幸福xìngfú吧ba！ A: 台湾Táiwān物价wùjià那么nàme便宜biànyi， 你们nǐmen应该yīnggāi很hěn幸福xìngfú吧ba！
Prices in Taiwan are so cheap, you should be very happy!

B: 台灣Táiwān物價wùjià才cái不bù便宜biànyí， 你nǐ來lái住住看zhùzhùkàn就jiù知道zhīdào了le！ B: 台湾Táiwān物价wùjià才cái不bù便宜biànyi， 你nǐ来lái住住看zhùzhùkàn就jiù知道zhīdào了le！
Prices in Taiwan are not cheap at all, you’ll know if you come and live here!

A: 你nǐ多duō打dǎ籃球lánqiú就jiù會huì長高chánggāo了le， 別bié擔心dānxīn！ A: 你nǐ多duō打dǎ篮球lánqiú就jiù会huì长高chánggāo了le， 别bié担心dānxīn！
You will grow taller if you play basketball a lot. Don’t worry!

B: 打dǎ籃球lánqiú才cái不會búhuì長高zhǎnggāo， 是shì長高zhǎnggāo的de人rén都dōu去qù打dǎ籃球lánqiú！ B: 打dǎ篮球lánqiú才cái不会búhuì长高zhǎnggāo， 是shì长高zhǎnggāo的de人rén都dōu去qù打dǎ篮球lánqiú！
People who play basketball don’t grow taller, people who grow taller go play basketball!

A: 你nǐ明明míngmíng說shuō會huì只zhǐ愛ài我wǒ一人yìrén， 怎麼zěnme可以kěyǐ劈腿pītuǐ！ A: 你nǐ明明míngmíng说shuō会huì只zhǐ爱ài我wǒ一人yìrén， 怎么zěnme可以kěyǐ劈腿pītuǐ！
You clearly said you would only love me, how could you cheat on me?

FYI
So, in Chinese slang, there’s this term called “劈腿 pītuǐ” and it’s basically when someone cheats on their partner by having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone else at the same time. It’s definitely not a good thing and we use this term to call out people who are being unfaithful in their relationship. Fun fact: 劈腿 pītuǐ literally translates to “split legs,” which comes from the idea of someone spreading their legs to have sex with someone who is not their partner. Crazy, right?

B: 我wǒ才cái沒méi說shuō過guò這種zhèzhǒng話huà！ B: 我wǒ才cái没méi说shuō过guò这种zhèzhǒng话huà！
I never said anything like that!

A: 老闆lǎobǎn如果rúguǒ知道zhīdào我wǒ為了wèile公司gōngsī付出fùchū那麼nàme多duō， 應該yīnggāi會huì幫bāng我wǒ加薪jiāxīn吧ba？ A: 老板lǎobǎn如果rúguǒ知道zhīdào我wǒ为了wèile公司gōngsī付出fùchū那么nàme多duō， 应该yīnggāi会huì帮bāng我wǒ加jiā工资gōngzī吧ba？
If the boss knew how much I’ve sacrificed for the company, he should give me a raise, right?

B: 老闆lǎobǎn才cái沒méi那麼nàme好心hǎoxīn， 你nǐ想多了xiǎngduōle！ B: 老板lǎobǎn才cái没méi那么nàme好心hǎoxīn， 你nǐ想多了xiǎngduōle！
The boss is not that kind-hearted. It is all in your mind.

Practice

TouchHover over the space to see the answers.

A: 你nǐ中文zhōngwén那麼nàme好hǎo， 能不能néngbùnéng教jiāo我wǒA: 你nǐ中文zhōngwén那么nàme好hǎo， 能不能néngbùnéng教jiāo我wǒ
Your Chinese is so good, can you teach me?

✔️ B: My Chinese is not good at all, you’d better ask a teacher to teach you

我的wǒde中文zhōngwén才cái不好bùhǎo， 你nǐ還是háishì請qǐng老師lǎoshī教jiāo你nǐ吧ba我的wǒde中文zhōngwén才cái不好bùhǎo， 你nǐ还是háishì请qǐng老师lǎoshī教jiāo你nǐ吧ba

A: 你nǐ為什麼wèishénme要yào從cóngGoogle 辭職cízhí？ 薪水xīnshuǐ不是búshì很hěn好hǎo嗎ma？ A: 你nǐ为什么wèishénme要yào从cóngGoogle 辞职cízhí？ 薪水xīnshuǐ不是búshì很hěn好hǎo吗ma？
Why did you resign from Google? Isn’t the pay good?

✔️ B: I didn’t resign, I was fired!

我wǒ才cái沒有méiyǒu辭職cízhí， 我wǒ是shì被bèi辭退cítuì的de！ 我wǒ才cái没有méiyǒu辞职cízhí， 我wǒ是shì被bèi辞退cítuì的de！

A: 你nǐ如果rúguǒ有yǒu問題wèntí都dōu可以kěyǐ去qù問wènTiffany ， 她tā人rén很hěn好hǎoA: 你nǐ如果rúguǒ有yǒu问题wèntí都dōu可以kěyǐ去qù问wènTiffany ， 她tā人rén很hěn好hǎo
If you have questions, you can ask Tiffan. She is very nice

✔️ B: She’s not nice at all. If I ask her a question, she would charge me money.

她tā人rén才cái不好bùhǎo， 問wèn一個yíge問題wèntí就jiù要yào跟gēn我wǒ收shōu錢qián她tā人rén才cái不好bùhǎo， 问wèn一个yíge问题wèntí就jiù要yào跟gēn我wǒ收shōu钱qián

Other 才 cái related posts:

• 才 cái Chinese Grammar