才 can be noun. means: talent ( don't need explain here, because 你很有才。You are
very talent.)
can be adv. means: only ( here are some different function in the sentences)
1. (time) later than speaker expect
E.g: 他10点才来。(tā shí diǎn cái lái.) He only comes at 10 o’clock. (later
than I expect, I thought he comes 8 or 9…)
我们下午才开会。(wǒ mén xià wǔ cái kāi huì.) We will only have the meeting
this afternoon. ( later than I expect, I thought this morning)
你怎么才来?(nǐ zěn me cái lái?) Why are you arriving now? ( I thought
you should come half hour ago…)
2. (quantity) less than speaker expect
E.g: 他才吃了半个面包。(tā cái chī le bàn gè miàn bāo.) He only eat half of the
bread.( That’s not enough, I expect he ate more.)
他才50岁。(tā cái 50 suì.) He is only 50. ( OMG, he looks like 70 years
old grandpa.)
3. (time) shorter then speaker expect
E.g: 我才到家,电话就响了。(wǒ cái dài jiā, diàn huà jiù xiǎng le.) The
phone ringed as soon as I got home. (I didn’t even have a break.)
她来这工作才两个月。(tā lái zhè gōng zuò cái liǎng gè yuè.) She has
worked here only two months. ( I thought she came here long time ago.)
4. only (choice) (usually in phrase, means: that’s the only option. )
E.g: 只有他,才知道开会时间。(zhǐ yǒu tā, cái zhī dào kāi huì shí jiān.)
Only he knows the meeting time. (no one else)
学生只有用功,才能取得好成绩。(xué shēng zhǐ yǒu yòng gōng, cái n
éng qǔ de hǎo chéng jī.) Only studying hard, can let students get good
marks. (don’t know whether cheating can help as well?:)
5. refute
E.g: A: 你疯啦!(nǐ fēng la!) Are you mad?
B:你才疯啦!(nǐ cái fēng la!) You are mad!
Courtney said:5 really. This is wrong. You will hear lots of girls say this to the boyfriend: 我才不喜欢你呢!(wǒ cái bù xǐ huān nǐ ne!) I don't like you! ( In fact, means she loves the boyfriend, but too shy to say that. doesn't mean: don't like you.)