掏 (tāo) — to take or pull out (from a pocket, bag, or container); to scoop out
Definition
掏 means to reach into a pocket/bag/container and pull something out, or to scoop from a dish — the hand does the action. Unlike 挖 (dig into solid ground) or 捞 (fish out of liquid), 掏 is for pockets and shallow containers.
verb
to take or pull out (from a pocket, bag, or container)to scoop out
Examples
- 掏。Tā cóng shū bāo lǐ tāo chū jǐ běn shū.He took a few books out of his backpack.
- 掏。Tā yòng sháo zi tāo tāng hē.She scoops out soup with a ladle and drinks it.
- 掏。Tā cóng kǒu dài lǐ tāo chū yì zhāng jiù zhào piàn.He pulled out an old photo from his pocket.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
匋
匋táo掏tāo
Same sound today
掏 pairs 扌, the hand side, with 匋, which gives the sound. The hand part shows the action is done with the hand.
Appears in
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