Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
叨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
叨dāogarrulousv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
叨dāoto receive the benefit ofv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
叨dāotalkative; grumblingv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
叨tāogarrulousv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
叨tāoto receive the benefit ofv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
叨tāotalkative; grumblingv, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #11403, Hard
dāo(dao1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1garrulous
  2. 2to receive the benefit of
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
叨dāo(dao1)

The character 叨 (dāo) primarily means to talk excessively or to grumble. It often describes someone who is garrulous, sharing too much information or complaining frequently. This word is usually used in informal contexts to convey annoyance or to describe someone who is overly chatty.

Strokes5Radical口Frequency#11403DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, excessive talking or grumbling can be viewed negatively, especially if it disrupts social harmony. The concept of being too talkative is often associated with individuals who cannot keep personal matters private.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with a loud mouth (the sound 'dāo' resembles 'dao', as in 'talking a lot') who can't stop talking about their grievances. The character 叨 has the radical for 'speech' (口) on the left, hinting at its relation to talking or speaking.

Meanings of 叨

dāo(dao1)
primary
1garrulous
2to receive the benefit of
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 叨

叨Simplified
5Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#11403Frequency Rank

Podcast: 叨

JasonAmy

Podcast: 叨

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 叨

Quick Contrast

唠 (láo) - use 叨 (dāo) when emphasizing excessive complaining or annoyance, while 唠 (láo) is more neutral for chatting.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person with a loud mouth (the sound 'dāo' resembles 'dao', as in 'talking a lot') who can't stop talking about their grievances. The character 叨 has the radical for 'speech' (口) on the left, hinting at its relation to talking or speaking.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 叨 can carry a negative connotation, so it's best suited for informal settings among friends rather than formal discussions. Common collocations include 叨叨 (dāodāo), which emphasizes the repetitive nature of talkativeness. Avoid using it in serious discussions to prevent sounding rude.

HSK Study Tips

Although 叨 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other words related to speech and communication. Students should focus on understanding its informal context and practice using it in conversational Mandarin.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, excessive talking or grumbling can be viewed negatively, especially if it disrupts social harmony. The concept of being too talkative is often associated with individuals who cannot keep personal matters private.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 叨 with 说 (shuō), which means 'to speak' or 'to say.' For example, saying '我叨这件事' (I talk about this matter) is incorrect; it should be '我说这件事' (I talk about this matter) unless emphasizing grumbling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 叨

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 叨 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 叨

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 刀 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)刀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 叨?

Decomposition of 叨

IDS Structure⿰口刀
叨Full Character
=
口kou3
left
刀Dao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 叨?

Write 叨

叨

Practice writing 叨 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 叨

叨 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

一路上老板自说自话唠____了半天。

The boss muttered to himself the entire way, rambling on and on.

Example Sentences for 叨 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他以前总是跟我唠叨必须获胜才行。

tā yǐ qián zǒng shì gēn wǒ lào tāo bì xū huò shèng cái háng。

He used to keep on at me about the need to win.
2
妈妈喋喋不休地念叨着他正如何毁掉我。

mā mā dié dié bù xiū dì niàn tāo zháo tā zhèng rú hé huǐ diào wǒ。

Momma babbled on and on about how he was ruining me.
3
弗兰开始不由自主地唠叨起乔恩是怎样无可避免地被扣留的。

fú lán kāi shǐ bù yóu zì zhǔ dì lào tāo qǐ qiáo ēn shì zěn yàng wú kě bì miǎn dì bèi kòu liú de。

Fran began her automatic patter about how Jon had been unavoidably detained.
4
电话里有个家伙在唠叨一张飞机票的事情。

diàn huà lǐ yǒu gè jiā huǒ zài lào tāo yī zhāng fēi jī piào de shì qíng。

There was some bloke on the phone waffling about an airline ticket.
5
她一直唠叨着要我生个孩子。

tā yī zhí lào tāo zháo yào wǒ shēng gè hái zǐ。

She's always going on at me to have a baby.
6
这个话题最能让琼斯唠叨个没完。

zhè gè huà tí zuì néng ràng qióng sī lào tāo gè méi wán。

Jones harps on this theme more than on any other.
7
卢就各种芝麻小事唠叨个没完，后来我烦得都想尖叫了。

lú jiù gè zhǒng zhī má xiǎo shì lào tāo gè méi wán， ， hòu lái wǒ fán dé dū xiǎng jiān jiào。

Lou prattled on about various trivialities till I wanted to scream.
8
她老念叨着孩子们.

tā lǎo niàn tāo zháo hái zǐ mén.

She is always talking about her children.
9
我暗自念叨着安东尼的话, 默默地学他的语调.

wǒ àn zì niàn tāo zháo ān dōng ní de huà, , mò mò dì xué tā de yǔ.

I repeated to myself Anthony's words, catching his accent, soundlessly.
10
这本书不停地重复絮叨，真让人窝火。

zhè běn shū bù tíng dì zhòng fù xù tāo， ， zhēn ràng rén wō。

This book is infuriatingly repetitious.

Cultural Notes for 叨

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, excessive talking or grumbling can be viewed negatively, especially if it disrupts social harmony. The concept of being too talkative is often associated with individuals who cannot keep personal matters private.

Word Family of 叨

Words Containing This Character10
唠叨láodaoto prattle嘮叨
叨dāogarrulous
念叨to talk about often
絮叨xùdaolong-winded
絮絮叨叨long-winded
叨叨to chatter
叨唠to nag叨嘮
叨念to talk about often
忙忙叨叨in a busy and hasty manner
磨叨to grumble
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 唠叨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 叨

It means to talk excessively or to grumble.