English word origin

Etymology of zai

From Hokkien 在 (chāi, “steady”); likely a shortening of Hokkien 在穩 /在稳 (chāi-ún, “experienced and composed; safe; reliable; trustworthy”), in the sense of a person being solid, experienced, and collected under pressure.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

adj

extremely skilled; talented.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention在nan-hbl · steady
Derivation mention在穩nan-hbl · experienced and composed; safe; reliable; trustworthy

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "在",
        "tr": "chāi",
        "t": "steady"
      },
      "expansion": "Hokkien 在 (chāi, “steady”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nan-hbl",
        "3": "在穩",
        "tr": "chāi-ún",
        "t": "experienced and composed; safe; reliable; trustworthy"
      },
      "expansion": "Hokkien 在穩 /在稳 (chāi-ún, “experienced and composed; safe; reliable; trustworthy”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "在",
      "在#Hokkien"
    ],
    [
      "在穩",
      "在穩#Hokkien"
    ],
    [
      "在稳",
      "在稳#Hokkien"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "extremely skilled; talented."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Singapore",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "c628c792a47675e468f783794565865271737a25335aea9ac3eadee98b25f935",
      "rawRecordSha256": "873cca2a05129c5d25baa8f87856d03b6a50c5bd188dc4a2b7824ced1a6658a4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 862398
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for zai →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-emFp