Featured image for 濤 tāo Dictionary entry displaying the word's hanzi, pinyin and the Mandarin Temple logo and tagline.

Pronunciation

tāo

To complete this step you need to listen to the audio pronunciation of the word once.

tāo Meaning

Learn the Pinyin Pronunciation and 1 English Translations of the word tāo .

To complete this step you need to read and scroll down.

Pīnyīn Pronunciation
tāo | tao1
English translation
large waves

Learn the Chinese word tāo in 6 easy steps:

1
Start completing the learning steps to receive the bonus.
You have completed 4/7 steps. Keep going!
Congratulations! You have completed the first learning sequence for this character.
Temple Coins Received
0
2
Unlocks in 48h after completing the first learning phase.
Start completing the learning steps to receive the bonus.
You have completed 4/7 steps. Keep going!
Congratulations! You have completed the second learning sequence for this character.
Temple Coins Received
0
3
Unlocks in 7 days after completing the second learning phase.
Start completing the learning steps to receive the bonus.
You have completed 4/7 steps. Keep going!
Congratulations! You have completed the second learning sequence for this character.
Temple Coins Received
0
Slide 1 Heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor
Click Here
Slide 2 Heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor
Click Here
Slide 3 Heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor
Click Here
Previous slide
Next slide

About tāo

Read some general information about the Chinese word tāo .

To complete this step you need to read and scroll down..

Number of strokes

17

Traditional form

tāo

Contains the radical

shuǐ

Part of speech

Non-morpheme / 非语素字 Fēi yǔsù zì

Learning hint

water

Etymology of tāo

Familiarize yourself with the origin and historical aspects of the Chinese word tāo .

To complete this step you need to read and scroll down..

Type

pictophonetic

Positional decomposition

氵壽

Semantic compound

shuǐ

Phonetic compound

shòu

Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. shuǐ represents the meaning and 寿 Shòu represents the sound. Simplified form of tāo .

Write it!

Practice your Chinese writing skills and learn precisely where and when to draw every stroke of the
Chinese word tāo .
     Press the Show Strokes button to see the strokes and their order and hit Start Drawing when you are
ready to practice.

To complete this step you need to write the word once.

Spread the word

Words with tāo

Explore 7 words and sayings that include the Chinese character tāo in their composition.

To complete this step you need to read and scroll down.

FrequencySimplifiedMeaningTraditional
tāo big wave tāo
胡锦涛 Hú Jǐn tāo Hu Jintao (1942-), General Secretary of the CPC 2002-2012, president of the PRC 2003-2013胡錦濤
波涛 bōtāo great waves波濤
惊涛骇浪 jīng tāo hài làng perilous situation驚濤駭浪
浪涛 làng tāo ocean wave浪濤
波涛汹涌 bō tāo xiōng yǒng waves surging forth波濤洶涌
石涛 Shí Tāo Shi Tao (1642-1707), Chinese landscape painter and poet石濤

tāo Decomposition & Compounds

To complete this step you need to read and scroll down.

Recommended Books for Learning Mandarin Chinese

AMAZON BOOKSHELF

AMAZON BOOKSHELF

A Boy and his Dragon

Once upon a time, a Little Boy was living in a village near the woods. One day, a Dragon came out of the cave secluded in the middle of the forest and began to relentlessly follow the Little Boy, always breathing on the back of his neck, burning the young boy at his slightest misstep.

The child received refuge in an old Temple where there were no mirrors allowed, and it was forbidden to speak of life before entering the sanctum. Ancient books, hidden rooms with unimaginable treasures and beauty beyond comprehension, became part of the boy’s new life.

Time went by until, one day, the now old young boy accidentally glimpses his own reflection in a pond. The Dragon smiled back.

Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.

Copyright © 2026 Mandarin Temple. All rights reserved.

Scroll to Top