通才

tōngcái

noun

Measure Word

一位通才 wèi

Meanings

1 polymath
2 all-round person
3 generalist

Characters

thorough / well-versed

talent / talented person

Examples

达芬奇是一位罕见的通才。

Dáfēnqí shì yī wèi hǎnjiàn de tōngcái.

Da Vinci was a rare polymath.

现代社会既需要专才，也需要通才。

Xiàndài shèhuì jì xūyào zhuāncái, yě xūyào tōngcái.

Modern society needs both specialists and generalists.

Tips

usage

Often paired with its opposite 专才 (zhuāncái, specialist). 通 here means 'penetrating, well-versed in many fields' — not just 'common'.

Stroke Order

通 tōng

才 cái