tāo

large waves

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and 寿 represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Components
氵 meaning component

  Meaning component

shuishuǐ

  

water

is a component form of .

寿 sound component

寿  Sound component

shòu

  

old age

Evolution

涛 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
涛 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
涛 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
涛 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

tāo

large waves; big wave; Taiwan pr. [táo]

Most common words with 涛
Freq.
Word
Meaning

big wave

胡锦涛

Hu Jintao (1942-), General Secretary of the CPC 2002-2012, president of the PRC 2003-2013

波涛

great waves

惊涛骇浪

perilous situation

浪涛

ocean wave