How to Write 采 (cǎi) — Meaning “to pick; to gather; to collect”

Imagine a hand (爫) reaching down to pick an apple from a tree (木). This picture of a hand on a tree helps you remember that 采 means "to pick" and looks like a hand over wood.

Write the top hand part first: left-falling stroke, dot, dot, left-falling. Then write the tree below: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. A common mistake is making the top too wide or touching the tree; keep a small gap between the hand and the wood.

釆 (biàn) has a vertical stroke that runs straight through the whole character, while 采 has a clear break between the top hand and bottom tree. Also 釆 means "to distinguish" (as in 辨别), not "to pick," so their meanings are different.

采 appears in common words like 采摘 (to pick fruit or flowers), 采访 (to interview someone), and 采用 (to adopt a method or idea). It is also used in cultural contexts such as 采茶 (picking tea leaves), an important traditional activity in China.

Common words containing 采 include: 采摘 (cǎi zhāi) — to pick; to pluck (fruit or flowers); 采访 (cǎi fǎng) — to interview; to cover (news); 采用 (cǎi yòng) — to adopt; to use; to employ.