桃

táo

兆 + 木

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

táo (noun) peach

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 兆 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 兆

About

The character 桃 is a phono-semantic compound, in which the semantic radical 木 (mù, 'tree') on the left indicates the category, trees or wooden objects, and the phonetic component 兆 (zhào, 'omen, sign') on the right indicates the pronunciation. 兆's own meaning is not relevant to the peach. This character was coined to denote the peach tree and its fleshy fruit, a staple crop long cherished in Chinese culture as a symbol of longevity and a talisman to ward off evil spirits. It commonly refers to the tree, its fruit, or the blossoms.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吃桃子。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī táozi.

I like to eat peaches.

这个桃子很甜。

Zhège táozi hěn tián.

This peach is very sweet.

桃花春天开放。

Táohuā chūntiān kāifàng.

Peach blossoms bloom in spring.

妈妈买了一些桃子。

Māma mǎile yīxiē táozi.

Mom bought some peaches.

桃树的叶子是绿色的。

Táoshù de yèzi shì lǜsè de.

The leaves of the peach tree are green.

我们去年在果园里摘桃子。

Wǒmen qùnián zài guǒyuán lǐ zhāi táozi.

Last year, we picked peaches in the orchard.

桃木经常被用来制作家具。

Táomù jīngcháng bèi yòng lái zhìzuò jiājù.

Peach wood is often used to make furniture.

由于气候适宜，这里的桃子产量很高。

Yóuyú qìhòu shìyí, zhèlǐ de táozi chǎnliàng hěn gāo.

Due to the suitable climate, the peach yield here is very high.

Related Characters

Component: 兆

Component: 木

桃