(tāo) - great waves, billows & torrent

Tone 1

tāo | 10 strokes | radical:

· tāo

great waves, billows;

torrent;

used metaphorically for something vast, powerful, or continuous flow.

great waves, billowstorrentused metaphorically for something vast, powerful, or continuous

Usage highlights

waves, billowstorrential, surgingwave soundpine wavessea wavesriver waves

Synonyms

  • wave
  • ripple, wave

Antonyms

  • still, quiet
  • stop, cease

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The waves crashed against the shore (波涛).
  • He has a torrent of words (滔滔不绝).
  • The surging Yangtze River (滔滔长江).
  • A wave of emotion (心潮澎湃).

Collocations

  • waves, billows(波涛)
  • torrential, surging(滔滔)
  • wave sound(涛声)
  • pine waves(松涛)
  • sea waves(海涛)
  • river waves(江涛)

Idioms

  • An endless flow of words(滔滔不绝)
  • Billows and waves(波涛汹涌)
  • Waves in the pines(松涛阵阵)
  • Listening to the waves(听涛)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often evokes images of the sea or great rivers, symbolizing power, grandeur, and relentless force.
  • Commonly used in male given names to imply breadth of mind, strength, and unstoppable momentum.
  • Associated with natural phenomena like ocean waves (海涛) or wind through pines (松涛), suggesting a connection to nature's majesty.

FAQ