财 (cái) is a Chinese character meaning “wealth”. It is written from 贝 (shell) and 才 (talent; ability), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “wealth; money”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
贝 + 才
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：財，人所寶也。从貝才聲
Memory aid
A cowrie shell (贝), the oldest Chinese money, standing next to 才 — talent. Both parts are really in this character: what talent turns into is wealth.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 财产cái chǎnproperty; assets财 = cái
- 发财fā cáito get rich; to make a fortune财 = cái
Go deeper
All readings
wealth
wealth; money; property; riches
钱和物资的总称；财富。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 财产cái chǎnproperty; assets财 = cái
- 发财fā cáito get rich; to make a fortune财 = cái
Sound component
才 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 财 mean?
财 (cái) means wealth; money; property; riches.
How do you pronounce 财?
It is pronounced cái.
What parts is 财 made of?
贝 (shell) and 才 (talent; ability), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：財，人所寶也。从貝才聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 财 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 财?
贝. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 财?
Common ones are 财产 and 发财. The reading of 财 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.