濤 meaning and stroke order
Large waves
How to write 濤, stroke by stroke
17 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
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
Meaning of 濤
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- big wave
- Taiwan pr. [tao2]
How 濤 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 壽 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 濤
濤 combines the water radical 氵 with 壽 (shòu, long life), which gives the sound. Picture water that rolls on and on, like a long life, building into huge waves.
濤 (tāo) is mostly used in written or literary Chinese and in set words like 波濤 (bōtāo) and 松濤 (sōngtāo, the sound of wind in pines). Example: 海上波濤洶湧。(Hǎi shàng bōtāo xiōngyǒng.) The waves on the sea are surging.
Common mistake: Learners often read 濤 as shòu because of the 壽 part, but it is pronounced tāo. Also note the simplified form is 涛, so do not mix the two forms in one text.
Common words with 濤
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 波濤 | bōtāo | billows; great waves; surging waves | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 濤
How many strokes are in 濤?
濤 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 濤 mean?
濤 (tāo) means large waves. A common word with it is 波涛 (bōtāo), meaning "billows; great waves; surging waves".
How do you pronounce 濤?
濤 is pronounced tāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 濤?
The radical of 濤 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 濤 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 濤?
濤 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 涛, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 濤 and 浪?
浪 (làng) is the everyday word for a wave and works for small or large waves. 濤 (tāo) means big, powerful waves and sounds more literary, so it usually appears in compounds like 波濤 rather than alone.
Is 濤 pronounced tāo or táo?
Standard Mainland pronunciation is first tone, tāo. In Taiwan it is commonly pronounced with the second tone, táo.