滔 (tāo) — (morpheme in compounds) surging, torrential; (figurative) heinous, monstrous (in 滔天)
Definition
滔 is a bound morpheme, not used alone: 滔天 means 'towering' (waves) or 'monstrous/heinous' (crimes). It only appears as the first half of 滔天 — never by itself.
bound form
(morpheme in compounds) surgingtorrential(figurative) heinousmonstrous (in 滔天)
Easily confused
- 蹈dǎolook-aliketo tread, to step on
- 掏tāosound-aliketo take or pull out (from a pocket, bag, or container); to scoop out
- 稻dàolook-alikepaddy (rice plant); unhusked rice grain
- 涛tāosound-alike(bound form) large waves, billows
- 舀yǎolook-aliketo scoop up; to ladle (using a spoon, ladle, or similar tool)
- 饕tāosound-alike(bound form) gluttonous, greedy; appears in 饕餮
Examples
- 滔。tāo Tiān zuì xíng bù kě ráo shù.Monstrous crimes are unforgivable.
- 滔。tāo Tiān jù làng xiān fān le dà chuán.Towering waves capsized the large ship.
- 滔。Tā fàn xià tāo tiān dà huò.He committed a heinous disaster.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.