Definitions

tāo (verb) to fish out; to take out (from pocket); to scoop

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 掏 is structured as a phono-semantic compound, combining the hand radical 扌 with the component 匋, which serves primarily as a phonetic element to guide pronunciation. Its etymological origin centers on the concrete action of using the hand to dig out, scoop, or extract something from within a container or confined space, a meaning that has persisted through its usage. Over time, while retaining this literal sense, the character has expanded into figurative domains, such as in the expression 掏心, which conveys the act of revealing one's innermost thoughts or emotions. The component 匋, though historically associated with pottery, does not contribute semantically in this context but consistently anchors the character's sound. Thus, 掏 has maintained its fundamental association with manual extraction while gradually acquiring abstract connotations related to disclosure or offering intangible aspects.

Example Sentences Hide

出了钱包。

Tā tāo chū le qiánbāo.

He took out his wallet.

钱买了这本书。

Wǒ tāo qián mǎi le zhè běn shū.

I paid for this book.

妈妈从包里出一把钥匙。

Māmā cóng bāo lǐ tāo chū yī bǎ yàoshi.

Mom took out a key from her bag.

他小心翼翼地出了那张旧照片。

Tā xiǎoxīn yìyì de tāo chū le nà zhāng jiù zhàopiàn.

He carefully took out that old photo.

警察让嫌疑人出口袋里的东西。

Jǐngchá ràng xiányírén tāo chū kǒudài lǐ de dōngxi.

The police asked the suspect to take out the things in his pocket.

为了找到丢失的戒指,她遍了整个抽屉。

Wèile zhǎodào diūshī de jièzhi, tā tāo biàn le zhěnggè chōutì.

In order to find the lost ring, she searched through the entire drawer.

记者试图从知情人口中出更多信息。

Jìzhě shìtú cóng zhīqíngrén kǒu zhōng tāo chū gèng duō xìnxī.

The journalist tried to dig out more information from the informant.

在清理池塘时,工人们出了大量淤泥。

Zài qīnglǐ chítáng shí, gōngrénmen tāo chū le dàliàng yūní.

While cleaning the pond, the workers scooped out a large amount of sludge.