How to Write 财 (cái) — Meaning “wealth; money; riches”

Imagine a "shell" (贝) holding a "talent" (才) — the shell represents ancient money, and talent brings wealth. Picture a talented person collecting shells to become rich. This visual link helps you recall the left-right structure and the character's meaning of wealth.

Write the left component 贝 first: vertical stroke, then horizontal strokes and a short bottom stroke, then the inner strokes. The right component 才 starts with a horizontal stroke, then a vertical hook, and finally a left-slanting stroke (撇). Keep the two parts balanced — the left side should be slightly narrower than the right side.

财 (wealth) uses the radical 贝 (money) with 才 (talent), while 贞 (zhēn, chaste) has 贝 plus the top part 卜 (divination), and 负 (fù, negative/owe) has 贝 under a person (⺈). Visually, 财 has a clear left-right split, 贞 is top-down, and 负 is also top-down. They share the 贝 radical but have different meanings and pronunciations.

财 is very common in words related to money and wealth, like 财富 (wealth), 发财 (to get rich), and 财产 (property). It appears in the popular New Year greeting 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái, "Wishing you wealth!"), reflecting the cultural importance of prosperity. You will often see 财 in business, finance, and festive contexts.

Common words containing 财 include: 财富 (cái fù) — wealth; riches; 发财 (fā cái) — to get rich; to make a fortune; 财产 (cái chǎn) — property; assets.