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. Its left-side radical 氵 (water) provides the semantic category of liquid or washing, while the right-side component 太 (tài) indicates the pronunciation. The original meaning referred to the physical act of washing or rinsing, such as panning for gold or cleaning rice, to separate impurities. This concrete process of washing away the unwanted was later extended metaphorically to mean eliminating, discarding, or filtering out anything inferior or unfit, which is its predominant modern usage in contexts of selection and removal.

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