Writing Balance Rule: The left side (木 tree radical) is compact and narrow, while the right side (载) is wider and bears more complex horizontal strokes. Keep the left side lifted slightly higher to maintain visual equilibrium.
1. Meaning
to plant; to grow
to insert or erect (e.g. a pole or sign)to frame or impose something on someoneto stumble, fall down, or suffer a sudden failure
VerbNeutral#agriculture#actions#metaphors
Sample Usage
他们在院子里栽了一棵树。
tā men zài yuàn zi li zāi le yī kē shù.
They planted a tree in the courtyard.
这次 失败 让 他 栽 了 一个大 跟头。
zhè cì shī bài ràng tā zāi le yī gè dà gēn tou.
This failure caused him to take a terrible tumble.
2. Sound
/[tsaɪ̯⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
栽
zāizai1
|
++
¯(55)
=zāi
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
zai
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Say it like:“dz-eye”Close approximationTone pitch cue:flat, high
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff (sounds like 'ds' in English 'cards'). Tissue still.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the back of upper front teeth for the 'ts' onset.
Final Rhyme
ai
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ai rhymes with 'eye'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'eye'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Maintains a steady high pitch like a singer holding a high note.
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Listening trap: Do not confuse with the retroflex initial 'zhāi' (zhai) or the aspirated 'cāi' (cai); 'zāi' uses an unaspirated alveolar 'ts' sound.
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Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 1 is a high, flat, sustained pitch, similar to a musical note held steady at the top of your vocal range.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (木 tree radical) is compact and narrow, while the right side (载) is wider and bears more complex horizontal strokes. Keep the left side lifted slightly higher to maintain visual equilibrium.
4. Components
Radical木 · Wood Radical (tree, wood)
Semantic Clue (形旁):木 (Indicates plant or tree cultivation (planting).)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):哉 (original sound: zāi)
Composed of the wood radical (木) on the left, denoting plants, combined with the phonetic component (哉) on the right, which provides the sound 'zāi'.
木 Semantic clue indicating tree or vegetation
哉 Phonetic clue providing the pronunciation zāi
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
4· Phonetic Root: 戈 (gē)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Formed as a phono-semantic compound where the left element (木 wood) relates to planting vegetation, and the right element (哉) gives the phonetic reading.
Semantic Evolution: Originally referred strictly to planting trees or saplings in the earth. Over time, it expanded metaphorically to erecting posts, inserting items upright, framing people in political plots, and suffering sudden downfalls.
The phonetic component '哉' originally represented an exclamation particle in classical Chinese before being borrowed for its sound value.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tài
Mandarin Tone 1 corresponds roughly to ngang tone in Sino-Vietnamese borrowings.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: サイ (sai) / Kun: う.える (u.eru)
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Hanja (Korean)
재
Sound Shift Bridge: The Mandarin 'z-' initial regularly bridges to 'ts-' or 't-' sounds in Sino-Xenic readings (e.g. Japanese 'sai').
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You take a piece of **wood** (木) and shout **'zai!'** in triumph every time you successfully **plant** a new sapling into the ground.