掏 meaning and stroke order
To fish out (from pocket); to scoop
How to write 掏, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 11
Meaning of 掏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fish out (from pocket)
- to scoop
- variant of 掏[tao1]
How 掏 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 匋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 掏
The hand 扌 on the left tells you this is an action, and 匋 (táo) on the right gives the sound. Picture your hand reaching deep into a pocket or a jar to dig something out: that is 掏 (tāo).
掏 describes reaching into something and pulling an item out, usually from a pocket or bag, or scooping something out of a hole. It often appears with a result word like 出 or 空. Example: 他从口袋里掏出一把钥匙。(Tā cóng kǒudai lǐ tāochū yì bǎ yàoshi.) He took a key out of his pocket.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 掏 with 淘 (táo, to wash or sift, as in 淘宝), which has the water radical 氵 and a second tone. Remember that 掏 uses the hand 扌 and is first tone tāo.
Common words with 掏
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
掏 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 掏
How many strokes are in 掏?
掏 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 掏 mean?
掏 (tāo) means to fish out (from pocket); to scoop. A common word with it is 掏钱 (tāo qián), meaning "to pay; to spend money".
How do you pronounce 掏?
掏 is pronounced tāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 掏?
The radical of 掏 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掏 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 掏?
The traditional form of 掏 is 搯. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 掏 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 掏 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 掏 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 掏 and 拿?
拿 (ná) simply means to take or hold something. 掏 is more specific: you reach into an enclosed space like a pocket, bag, or hole and dig the thing out.
What does 掏钱 mean in everyday speech?
Literally it is taking money out of your pocket, but it usually means to pay or to spend money. For example, 这次我掏钱 (zhè cì wǒ tāo qián) means I will pay this time.