太 meaning and stroke order
Highest; greatest; too (much)
How to write 太, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 太
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- highest
- greatest
- too (much)
- very
- extremely
How 太 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A giant 大 with a normal-sized man 丶 for scale.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 太
太 is 大 (dà, big) with an extra dot 丶 underneath. Think of the dot as a normal-sized person standing next to a giant, showing that this is more than big: it is very big, even too big.
太 is most often an adverb meaning "too" or "very", usually paired with 了 (le) at the end of the sentence. It also appears in common words like 太阳 (tàiyáng, sun) and 太太 (tàitai, Mrs.). Example: 这个太贵了。(Zhège tài guì le.) This is too expensive.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 太 with 大 (dà) and 犬 (quǎn, dog). 太 has the dot at the bottom between the legs, while 犬 has the dot at the top right. Another common slip is leaving out 了 in phrases like 太好了 (tài hǎo le), which can make the sentence sound unfinished.
Common words with 太
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 太太 | tàitai | married woman; Mrs. | HSK 2 |
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun; sunlight; sunshine | HSK 2 |
| 不太 | bù tài | HSK 2 | |
| 老太太 | lǎotàitai | elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother | HSK 3 |
| 太空 | tàikōng | outer space | HSK 5 |
| 太阳能 | tàiyángnéng | solar energy | HSK 6 |
| 太平 | tàipíng | peace and security | HSK 7-9 |
| 晒太阳 | shài tàiyáng | to be in the sun (getting warm or sunbathing etc); to put sth in the sun (e.g. to dry it) | HSK 7-9 |
| 太极 | tàijí | the Absolute or Supreme Ultimate, the source of all things according to some interpretatio | HSK 7-9 |
| 太极拳 | tàijíquán | shadowboxing or Taiji, T'aichi or T'aichichuan; traditional form of physical exercise or r | HSK 7-9 |
| 太好了 | tàihǎole | very good | |
| 不太好 | bùtàihǎo | not so good; not too well | |
| 太过 | tàiguò | excessively; too | |
| 老太婆 | lǎotàipó | old woman (at times contemptuous) |
太 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 太
Learning 太 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 太
How many strokes are in 太?
太 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 太 mean?
太 (tài) means highest; greatest; too (much). A common word with it is 太太 (tàitai), meaning "married woman; Mrs.".
How do you pronounce 太?
太 is pronounced tài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 太?
The radical of 太 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 太 under this radical.
Is 太 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 太 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 太 and 很 when they both mean very?
很 (hěn) is a neutral "very" and often just links an adjective to its subject. 太 is stronger and often means "too much", so 太贵了 is a complaint, while 很贵 simply says it is expensive. In exclamations like 太好了 (tài hǎo le), 太 shows excitement rather than excess.
What does 不太 mean?
不太 (bù tài) means "not very" and softens a statement politely. For example, 我不太喜欢 (wǒ bù tài xǐhuan) means "I don't really like it." The order matters, because 太不好 (tài bù hǎo) means "really bad" instead.