汰

tài
太 + 氵

Definitions

tài (verb) to eliminate; to discard

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 太 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 太

About

汰 (tài) is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the water radical 氵, which points to the meaning, and the phonetic 太 (tài), providing the sound. Originally, it referred to washing, rinsing, or scouring something with water to remove impurities and leave behind what is valuable, as in panning for gold or washing rice. This concrete notion of washing away unwanted material later evolved into a metaphorical sense: eliminating, discarding, or filtering out anything considered inferior, outdated, or unfit. In modern Chinese, the character is used almost exclusively in words for selection and elimination, most notably 淘汰 (táotài).

Example Sentences Hide

我们要淘汰旧衣服。

Wǒmen yào táotài jiù yīfu.

We need to discard old clothes.

公司淘汰了旧设备。

Gōngsī táotàile jiù shèbèi.

The company eliminated the old equipment.

这些产品需要汰换。

Zhèxiē chǎnpǐn xūyào tàihuàn.

These products need to be replaced.

汰旧换新是常事。

Tàijiù huànxīn shì chángshì.

Replacing the old with the new is a common practice.

他们在汰选优质种子。

Tāmen zài tàixuǎn yōuzhì zhǒngzi.

They are selecting high-quality seeds through elimination.

市场竞争激烈，劣质品被淘汰。

Shìchǎng jìngzhēng jīliè, lièzhì pǐn bèi táotài.

Market competition is fierce, and inferior products are eliminated.

环保政策要求汰换高耗能电器。

Huánbǎo zhèngcè yāoqiú tàihuàn gāo hàonéng diànqì.

Environmental policies require replacing high-energy-consuming appliances.

在进化过程中，不适应环境的物种会被自然淘汰。

Zài jìnhuà guòchéng zhōng, bù shìyìng huánjìng de wùzhǒng huì bèi zìrán táotài.

In the process of evolution, species that do not adapt to the environment will be naturally eliminated.

Related Characters

Component: 太

态 钛 肽 呔 酞 鈦 盇 迏 忲 軚

Component: 氵

法 没 海 活 治 清 济 流 深 满 消 注 派 河

Example Words

淘汰 淘汰赛 劣汰 埋汰