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多才多艺 (duō cái-duō yì) — multitalented, versatile

Definition

Describes a person with many skills and talents. Similar to 全能, but 全能 sounds more formal and athletic; 万能 often describes things, not people.

phrase
multitalentedversatile

Examples

  • 多才多艺，，。
    Tā zhēn shì duō cái-duō yì, jì huì tán gāng qín, yòu huì xiě xiǎo shuō.
    She is really multitalented — she can play the piano and write novels.
  • 多才多艺。
    Gōng sī xū yào yí wèi duō cái-duō yì de rén cái lái fù zé zhè ge xiàng mù.
    The company needs a versatile talent to take charge of this project.
  • ，多才多艺。
    Tā cóng xiǎo xué xí duō zhǒng jì néng, xiàn zài chéng le yí gè duō cái-duō yì de rén.
    He learned many skills from a young age and has now become a multitalented person.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

多才many talents
多duōmany才cáitalent
偏正Modifier + head
多艺many arts
多duōmany艺yìart
偏正Modifier + head

多才 'many talents' and 多艺 'many arts' are joined in parallel to describe a person with many abilities.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

才 originally drew a sharp peg, not a sprout growing from the ground.

Open 才 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
乙
乙yǐ艺yì
Same sound today

In 艺, the top 艹 points to plants, and the lower 乙 gives the sound.

Open 艺 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.