Chinese word

天才

Pronunciation

Pinyintiān cái

Meaning

  • noungenius

Example

他从小就是个天才，数学非常厉害。tā cóng xiǎo jiù shì gè tiān cái shù xué fēi cháng lì hài

He has been a genius since he was little and is very good at math.

Illustration for 天才 (genius)

More examples

爱因斯坦被誉为天才科学家。ài yīn sī tǎn bèi yù wéi tiān cái kē xué jiā

Einstein was hailed as a genius scientist.

Core concept

A person whose ability appears naturally far ahead of others in a particular field.

Common phrases

  • 天才科学家tiān cái kē xué jiā

    genius scientist

  • 天才作家tiān cái zuò jiā

    genius writer

  • 天才画家tiān cái huà jiā

    genius painter

Similar words

天赋tiān fù: A natural talent or aptitude present from birth.
才能cái néng: The ability or aptitude needed to handle something well.
人才rén cái: A skilled person who is highly useful to an organization or society.
能力néng lì: The practical power to perform work or activities through judgment and skill.

Definition in Chinese

天生具有极高的智力或才能，常指在某一领域表现出超常能力的人。tiān shēng jù yǒu jí gāo de zhì lì huò cái néng cháng zhǐ zài mǒu yì lǐng yù biǎo xiàn chū chāo cháng néng lì de rén

Word origin

The compound 天才 (tiāncái, "genius") joins 天 (tiān, "heaven") with 才 (cái, "talent"), linking outstanding ability with a gift from heaven.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use similar praise for a clever idea, but this Chinese noun most naturally points to a person, making it stronger when applied casually.

Other meanings

  • child geniusnoun
  • prodigynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word