HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
胎
tāi
litter
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
胎
tāi
tire
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
胎
tāi
embryo, fetus; car tire
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
胎
tāi
abbr. of 輪胎
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
胎
tāi
abbr. of 輪胎|轮胎
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #7045, Very Hard
tāi(tai1) T1
1fetus
2litter
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March 24, 2026
胎tāi(tai1)
The character 胎 (tāi) primarily refers to a fetus or embryo in the context of pregnancy. It can also denote a litter of animals or a tire, particularly in automotive contexts. Understanding its various meanings can aid in recognizing it in medical, biological, and everyday conversations.
Strokes9Radical⺼Frequency#7045DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of胎 (fetus) is significant in discussions about family planning and childbearing, reflecting traditional values around family and lineage. Additionally, the term for tire (轮胎) is essential in a country with a booming automotive industry.
Memory Tip
Imagine a baby (胎) inside a cozy tire (轮胎) to remember that 胎 relates to both fetuses and tires. The character has a 'baby' (胎) shape, and the sound 'tāi' is like 'tie,' tying together the concepts of new life and mobility.
Meanings of 胎
tāi(tai1)
1fetus
2litter
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 胎
胎Simplified
9Strokes
⺼Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#7045Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedBCT✓CEFRC2
Podcast: 胎
Podcast: 胎
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AI Study Notes for 胎
Usage Notes
Be cautious not to confuse 胎 with similar sounding words; for example, it is distinct from 体 (tǐ), meaning body. This term is generally used in more formal contexts when discussing pregnancy or animals. It can appear in phrases like 胎儿 (tāi'ér) for 'fetus' or 轮胎 (lún tāi) for 'tire.'
HSK Study Tips
While 胎 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, it connects to Level 3 terms like 体 (tǐ) and 产 (chǎn), both related to life and birth. Students should focus on pronunciation and recognizing its usage in compound words.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 胎 with other characters that sound similar, such as 体 (tǐ). For example, saying '胎体' instead of just 胎 when referring to a fetus is incorrect; it should be simply 胎儿 (tāi'ér).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 胎
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Drill the tone of 胎 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 台 represents the sound.
1The meaning half⺼ carries the sense.
2The sound half台 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayflesh
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 胎? 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 胎?
Decomposition of 胎
IDS Structure⿰⺼台
胎Full Character
=
⺼rou4
left
台Tai2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 胎?
How to say fetus in Chinese
“fetus” in Chinese is胎tāi
The character 胎 (tāi) primarily refers to a fetus or embryo in the context of pregnancy. It can also denote a litter of animals or a tire, particularly in automotive contexts. Understanding its various meanings can aid in recognizing it in medical, biological, and everyday conversations.
When to use 胎
Be cautious not to confuse 胎 with similar sounding words; for example, it is distinct from 体 (tǐ), meaning body. This term is generally used in more formal contexts when discussing pregnancy or animals. It can appear in phrases like 胎儿 (tāi'ér) for 'fetus' or 轮胎 (lún tāi) for 'tire.'
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 胎 with other characters that sound similar, such as 体 (tǐ). For example, saying '胎体' instead of just 胎 when referring to a fetus is incorrect; it should be simply 胎儿 (tāi'ér).
Write 胎
胎
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Practice writing 胎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 胎
胎 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
除了给轮____充气外，我没做过任何汽车保养。
Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance.
Example Sentences for 胎 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
除了给轮胎充气外，我没做过任何汽车保养。
chú le gěi lún tāi chōng qì wài， ， wǒ méi zuò guò rèn hé qì chē bǎo。
Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance.
2
反堕胎者所作的加强法规的尝试失败了。
fǎn duò tāi zhě suǒ zuò de jiā qiáng fǎ guī de cháng shì shī bài le。
An attempt by anti-abortionists to tighten the rules was defeated.
3
这一新技术已经被用来鉴别胎儿的性别。
zhè yī xīn jì shù yǐ jīng bèi yòng lái jiàn bié tāi ér de xìng bié。
The new technique has been used to identify the sex of foetuses.
