洮

Táo
proper noun

Meanings

  1. 1 the Tao River (a tributary of the Yellow River in Gansu)
  2. 2 to wash; to cleanse

Examples

HSK 6
Táoyàn yòng Táohé shí zuòchéng, hěn shòu shūfǎjiā xǐ'ài.
Taozhou inkstones, made from Tao River stone, are prized by calligraphers.
HSK 7-9
Táohé fāyuán yú Gānsù, huìrù Huánghé shàngyóu.
The Tao River rises in Gansu and flows into the upper Yellow River.

Tips

history
洮 is mainly the river name 洮河 ('Tao River') in Gansu, source of the famous 洮砚 inkstones. It also carries an old verb sense 'to wash, to rinse'.

Components

radical
氵 shuǐ
water
氵 is the three-drop left-side form of the water radical 水, fitting for both a river name and the 'to wash' sense.
phonetic
兆 zhào
omen; trillion
兆 on the right is the phonetic; the reading drifted from zhào to táo. It carries no meaning here.

In Pop Culture

洮砚 Táoyàn
Taozhou inkstone
One of China's four famous inkstones, carved from green stone of the 洮河 in Gansu, valued since the Song dynasty for its fine, water-retaining surface.

Stroke Order

洮 Táo