Definition
淘 (táo) means to agitate something in water to separate or clean—e.g., washing rice or panning for gold—and extends to eliminating through screening (e.g., 淘汰). Unlike 打捞 (salvaging objects from water) or 疏通 (clearing a blockage), 淘 focuses on the motion of separating by agitation. 洗涤 is a more formal term for thorough washing, whereas 淘 is the everyday verb for washing grains.
verb
to wash or rinse (rice, grain) by agitating in waterto pan for (gold, minerals)to eliminate (through selection or screening)
Easily confused
- 掏tāolook-aliketo take or pull out (from a pocket, bag, or container); to scoop out
- 套tàosound-alike(verb) to cover, to encase, to put on (a cover)
- 逃táosound-aliketo escape; to flee; to run away
- 讨tǎosound-aliketo demand, ask for (payment, explanation, etc.)
- 桃táosound-alikepeach
Examples
- 淘。Tā zhèngzài chúfáng lǐ táo mǐ zuò fàn.She is washing rice in the kitchen to cook.
- ，。Hěn duō rén zài hé biān táo jīn, xīwàng néng fācái.Many people are panning for gold by the river, hoping to get rich.
- 。Zhè cì bǐsài táo tài le bù shǎo xuǎnshǒu.This competition eliminated quite a few contestants.
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