滔

tāo

氵 + 舀

Definitions

tāo (verb) overflow; flood

tāo (noun) torrent; surge

Etymology phono-semantic

water

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 舀

About

滔 is a phono-semantic compound: the water radical 氵 on the left firmly situates it in the domain of water, while the right component 舀 (to scoop or ladle out liquid) suggests the motion of water and provides the pronunciation. The primary meaning is a large, surging, overflowing body of water, mighty rivers or torrential floods sweeping across a landscape. Metaphorically, it describes ceaseless, unbroken speech, a relentless torrent of words like a rushing river.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

江水滔滔向东流。

Jiāng shuǐ tāo tāo xiàng dōng liú.

The river water flows torrentially eastward.

海浪滔天很壮观。

Hǎi làng tāo tiān hěn zhuàngguān.

The sea waves are sky-high and very spectacular.

暴雨后河水滔滔。

Bào yǔ hòu hé shuǐ tāo tāo.

After the heavy rain, the river water is torrential.

江水滔滔，声势浩大。

Jiāng shuǐ tāo tāo, shēngshì hàodà.

The river water is torrential, and its momentum is vast.

每当雨季，河水就会变得滔滔。

Měi dāng yǔjì, hé shuǐ jiù huì biàn dé tāo tāo.

Whenever it's the rainy season, the river water becomes torrential.

他的怒火滔天，无法平息。

Tā de nùhuǒ tāo tiān, wúfǎ píngxī.

His anger is sky-high and cannot be calmed.

洪水滔天，淹没了整个村庄。

Hóngshuǐ tāo tiān, yānmò le zhěnggè cūnzhuāng.

The floodwaters reached the sky, submerging the entire village.

面对滔滔江水，他感叹自然的力量。

Miànduì tāo tāo jiāng shuǐ, tā gǎntàn zìrán de lìliàng.

Facing the torrential river water, he marveled at the power of nature.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 舀

滔