採 means “pick, gather, adopt”

さい · sai

Also: take, fetch, take up

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

とる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

サイ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 5 · 11 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) beside 采, a hand (爫) plucking from a tree (木): picking, twice over. 採る is to gather, like wild greens in spring, 採用 is being picked for a job, and 採点 is grading a test.

Used in 採用 (saiyou, hiring/adoption), 採点 (saiten, grading/scoring), and 採血 (saiketsu, taking a blood sample)

More from Handle With Care

• 触 touch
• 包 wrap
• 照 shine on
• 詰 pack
• 埋 bury
• 封 seal
• 捨 throw away
• 沈 sink
• 拾 pick up
• 磨 polish
• 挟 put between
• 査 examine

Learn 採 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.