# 蔡

| 蔡 | U+8521, &#34081; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8521 |
| ← 蔠 [U+8520] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 蔢 → [U+8522] |

## Translingual
### Han character

蔡 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+11, 15 strokes in traditional Chinese, 14 strokes in simplified Chinese, cangjie input 廿月人火 (TBOF), four-corner 4490$_1$, composition ⿱艹祭)

#### Derived characters

* 攃 櫒 礤 䌨 𠐐 𡂠 𡣮 𤁱 𧭝 𨯓 𩧇 𪒼 𢨝 𩁞 𪇭 𫊈 𬪝 𬯡 𮜨

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1055, character 3
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31818
* Dae Jaweon: page 1517, character 17
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3282, character 10
* Unihan data for U+8521

## Chinese

* 蔡

### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 蔡 :
| Shang | Western Zhou | Spring and Autumn | Warring States | Warring States | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) |
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Bronze inscriptions | Bronze inscriptions | Qin slip script | Small seal script |
| | Old Chinese |
| 蔡 | *sʰlaːds |
| 瘵 | *ʔsreːds |
| 祭 | *ʔsreːds, *ʔsleds |
| 際 | *ʔsleds |
| 穄 | *ʔsleds |
| 鰶 | *ʔsleds |
| 傺 | *hr'eds |
| 摖 | *sʰleːds |
| 擦 | *sʰlaːd |
| 攃 | *sʰlaːd, *saːd |
| 礤 | *sʰlaːd |
| 察 | *sʰreːd |
| 詧 | *sʰreːd, *sʰeːd |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sʰlaːds) : semantic 艸 (“vegetation”) + phonetic 祭 (OC *ʔsreːds, *ʔsleds).

### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): cài (cai$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄘㄞˋ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cai$^4$
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): coi$^3$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): toi$^1$
* Gan (Wiktionary): cai$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): chhai
    (Hailu, HRS): cai$^ˇ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): cai$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): cai$^3$
* Northern Min (KCR): chuo̿i
* Eastern Min (BUC): chái
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): cua$^4$ / cai$^4$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): chhòa / chhài
    (Teochew, Peng'im): cua$^3$
    (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): cua$^3$ / cai$^3$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$tshe
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): cai$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: cài
*** Zhuyin: ㄘㄞˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: cài
*** Wade–Giles: tsʻai$^4$
*** Yale: tsài
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsay
*** Palladius: цай (caj)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰaɪ̯⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: cai$^4$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cai
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰai²¹³/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: coi$^3$
*** Yale: choi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsoi$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: coi$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɔːi̯³³/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: toi$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰᵘɔi³³/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: cai$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰai²¹³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhai
*** Hakka Romanization System: cai
*** Hagfa Pinyim: cai$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰai̯⁵⁵/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: cai$^ˇ$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰai¹¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: cai$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰaɪ⁵³/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: cai$^3$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰai⁴⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chuo̿i
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰuɛ³³/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: chái
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɑi²¹³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: cua$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰua⁴²/
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: cai$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰai⁴²/
* cua4 - vernacular (including surname);
* cai4 - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit蔡 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /t͡sʰai⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /t͡sʰai⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /t͡sʰai⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /t͡sʰɛ²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /t͡sʰɛ⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /t͡sʰai³¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /t͡sʰai⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /t͡sʰɛ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /t͡sʰɛ¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /t͡sʰɛ¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /t͡sʰai²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /t͡sʰai³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /t͡sʰai¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /t͡sʰai²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /t͡sʰæ²¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /t͡sʰae⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /t͡sʰe̞⁵³/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /t͡sʰai⁴⁵/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /t͡sʰæ³⁵/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /t͡sʰɛ⁵⁵/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /t͡sʰe³⁵/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /t͡sʰɑ⁵¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /t͡sʰe̞⁴⁴⁵/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /t͡sʰa⁴²/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /t͡sʰɛ³²⁴/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /t͡sʰa⁴²/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /t͡sʰai⁵⁵/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /t͡sʰai⁵⁵/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /t͡sʰai²¹³/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /t͡sʰai⁵³/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /t͡sʰɑi⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /t͡sʰɔi³³/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /t͡sʰɔi³³/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /t͡sʰɔi³³/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /t͡sʰai²¹/ /t͡sʰua²¹/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /t͡sʰɑi²¹²/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /t͡sʰuɛ³³/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /t͡sʰua²¹³/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /sai³⁵/ /sua³⁵/ |
* Middle Chinese: tshajH
Rime :
| Character | 蔡 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 清 (14) |
| Final (韻) | 泰 (25) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 倉大切 |
| Baxter | tshajH |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡sʰaj$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡sʰɑi$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | cài |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | coi$^3$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*s.r̥ˤat-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*sʰlaːds/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 蔡 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | cài |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tshaj$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*s.r̥ˁat-s/ |
| English | (name of a state) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 蔡 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 5836 |
| Phonetic component | 祭 |
| Rime group | 祭 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 蔡 |
| Old Chinese | /*sʰlaːds/ |

### Definitions

蔡
* (obsolete) weed
* (obsolete) tortoise used for divination
* (～國) (historical) Cai (an ancient Chinese state)
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Kǒngzǐ qiān yú Cài sān suì, Wú fá Chén. Chǔ jiù Chén, jūn yú Chéngfù. Wén Kǒngzǐ zài Chén Cài zhījiān, Chǔ shǐ rén pìn Kǒngzǐ. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
* a surname
    蔡英文 ― Cài Yīngwén ― Tsai Ing-wen (President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), 2016–2024)
    蔡倫／蔡伦 ― Cài Lún ― Cai Lun (inventor of paper)

### Compounds

* 新蔡 (Xīncài)
* 管蔡
* 蓍蔡
* 蔡中郎
* 蔡侯紙／蔡侯纸
* 蔡叔
* 蔡司
* 蔡家營／蔡家营 (Càijiāyíng)
* 蔡李佛 (càilǐfó)
* 蔡河 (Càihé)
* 蔡澤看相／蔡泽看相
* 蔡濠 (Càiháo)
* 蔡甸 (Càidiàn)
* 蔡邕倒屣
* 蔡順分椹／蔡顺分椹
* 陳蔡之厄／陈蔡之厄
* 饒蔡／饶蔡 (Ráocài)

### Descendants

* → English: Cai, Tsai, Ts'ai, Choi, Choy, Tsoi, Chua
* → Tagalog: Chua (via Hokkien)

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### Readings

* Go-on: さい (sai)
* Kan-on: さい (sai)
* On: さつ (satsu)
* Kun: くさむら (kusamura, 蔡)、あくた (akuta, 蔡)

### References

* “蔡”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2024

## Korean
### Hanja

蔡 (eum 채 (chae)) 蔡 (eum 살 (sal))
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

蔡: Hán Nôm readings: Thái
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.