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啕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
啕táoto wailg, 11 strokes, radical 口
啕táowailunknown, 11 strokes, radical 口
táo(tao2) T2
  1. 1to wail
  2. 2wail
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

啕(咷)táo(tao2)

The character 啕 (táo) means 'to wail' or 'to cry out loudly.' It is often used in contexts depicting intense emotional expressions, such as grief or distress. This term is typically found in literary or poetic settings rather than in everyday conversation.

Strokes11Radical口
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese literature, wailing is often associated with mourning rituals and expressions of deep sorrow, reflecting the importance of emotional expression in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person wailing so loudly that their voice echoes (啕) through the mountains. The character has a mouth (口) radical, symbolizing the act of crying out, combined with another component that evokes the sound of wailing.

Meanings of 啕

táo(tao2)
1to wail
2wail
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 啕

啕Simplified
咷Traditional
11Strokes
口Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 啕

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Podcast: 啕

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AI Study Notes for 啕

Usage Notes

啕 is more commonly used in formal or literary contexts, so it may sound out of place in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. Common collocations include '啕啕而哭' (wailing and crying).

HSK Study Tips

Although 啕 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is useful for advanced learners interested in literary texts. Students should focus on recognizing its emotional connotation and differentiating it from more common expressions of crying.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 啕 with similar characters like 呐 (nà), which means 'to shout' and is more casual. Remember that 啕 implies a deeper emotional expression, specifically wailing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 啕

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Etymology of 啕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 匋 represents the sound. Simplified form of 咷.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)匋
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 啕

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 匋 represents the sound. Simplified form of 咷.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half匋 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 啕? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 啕?

Decomposition of 啕

IDS Structure⿰口匋
啕Full Character
=
口kou3
left
匋tao2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 啕?

How to say to wail in Chinese

“to wail” in Chinese is啕táo

The character 啕 (táo) means 'to wail' or 'to cry out loudly.' It is often used in contexts depicting intense emotional expressions, such as grief or distress. This term is typically found in literary or poetic settings rather than in everyday conversation.

When to use 啕

啕 is more commonly used in formal or literary contexts, so it may sound out of place in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. Common collocations include '啕啕而哭' (wailing and crying).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 啕 with similar characters like 呐 (nà), which means 'to shout' and is more casual. Remember that 啕 implies a deeper emotional expression, specifically wailing.

Write 啕

啕

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 啕

Words Containing This Character3
嚎啕大哭to wail
号啕to cry號啕
啕táowail咷
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 嚎啕大哭 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 啕

No, 啕 is more commonly found in literary contexts rather than everyday speech.

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