How to Write 塌 (tā) — Meaning “collapse / sink / droop”

Imagine a pile of earth (土) that collapses when many feet (足) step on it repeatedly (沓 can mean repeated or overlapping). This visual of "feet stomping earth until it caves in" helps you recall the meaning of collapse.

Write the left radical 土 (3 strokes) first, then the right part 蹋. The right side has 足 (7 strokes) on top and 沓 (8 strokes) below; pay attention to the straight horizontal stroke in 足 and ensure the top of 沓 looks like water (水) not 言. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or mixing up the strokes of 沓.

Visually, 塌 has the complex right side 蹋, while 埝 has 念 (niàn) on the right and 域 has 或 (huò). Meaning-wise, 塌 is about collapse or sinking, 埝 refers to a low earth bank or dike, and 域 means territory or region. So 塌 is used for disasters, not for land boundaries.

You use 塌 in news or reports about buildings collapsing (倒塌), landslides (塌方), or ground sinking (塌陷). It is not common in everyday small talk but appears in formal contexts describing structural failure or natural disasters, often conveying serious damage.

Common words containing 塌 include: 倒塌 (dǎo tā) — To collapse; to cave in.; 塌方 (tā fāng) — landslide / cave-in; 塌陷 (tā xiàn) — sink / cave in / subside.