Meaning of 套
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to cover
- to encase
- cover
- sheath
- to overlap
- to interleave
- to model after
- to copy
How to use 套
As a measure word, 套 (tào) counts sets or suites of things that belong together, such as furniture, books, clothes, or apartments. As a verb it means to put a cover on or slip something over. Example: 我买了一套新衣服。(Wǒ mǎi le yí tào xīn yīfu.) I bought a new set of clothes.
Picture 大 (dà, big) on top of 镸 (a form of 長, long): something big and long slipped over another thing, like a sleeve or a cover. A 套 is the outer layer that wraps around what is inside.
Common mistake: Learners often use 个 (gè) or 件 (jiàn) when they mean a full set. 一件衣服 is one piece of clothing, but 一套衣服 is a matching outfit or suit. Also keep the fourth tone; tào is not táo (桃, peach).
套 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
套 tào · to cover · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 套.
| 外套 | wàitào | outer garment; jacket; coat |
| 手套 | shǒutào | glove; mitten |
| 套餐 | tàocān | set meal; (fig.) product or service package (e.g. for a cell phone subscription) |
| 配套 | pèitào | to form a complete set; compatible |
| 圈套 | quāntào | trap; snare; trick |
| 跑龙套 | pǎo lóngtào | to play a small role |
| 一套 | yītào | suit; a set |
| 套房 | tàofáng | small room opening off another; inner room; suite; apartment; flat |
| 避孕套 | bìyùntào | condom |
| 老套 | lǎotào | hackneyed; well-worn (phrase etc) |
| 套装 | tàozhuāng | outfit or suit (of clothes); set of coordinated items |
| 安全套 | ānquántào | condom |
Questions about 套
What does 套 mean?
套 (tào) means "to cover; to encase" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 套?
套 is made of 1 character: 套 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 套 an HSK word?
Yes. 套 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 套 be used to count apartments or houses?
Yes. 一套房子 (yí tào fángzi) or 一套公寓 means one apartment unit, because a home is seen as a complete set of rooms. This is very common in conversations about buying or renting property.
What does 套 mean in phrases like 套话 or 客套?
It can describe something formulaic or conventional. 客套 (kètào) means polite formalities, and 套话 (tàohuà) can mean stock phrases or trying to coax information out of someone. This links to the sense of modeling after a fixed pattern.