How to Write 滔 (tāo) — Meaning “overflow; surging”

Imagine a big wave (氵) scooping up (舀) everything in its path, like a giant hand scooping water. This image of 'water scooping' helps you recall that 滔 means overflowing or surging.

Start with the three-dot water radical on the left. Then write 舀: first the claw stroke 爫, then 臼 with two horizontal strokes inside. A common mistake is confusing 舀 with 臽 — remember the top of 舀 looks like a hand or claw, not a knife.

滔 focuses on surging water or non-stop flow, while 涪 is a place name (Fuling) and 涫 is rare. Visually, the right side differs: 滔 uses 舀, 涪 uses 咅, and 涫 uses 官 — their meanings and usage are unrelated.

滔 appears in literary and expressive contexts, like 滔滔不绝 meaning 'talking non-stop' or 滔天 meaning 'sky-high' (as in huge crimes or floods). It is not common in daily conversation but is used in formal writing and idioms to describe powerful, unstoppable forces.

Common words containing 滔 include: 滔滔 (tāo tāo) — torrential; surging; non-stop; 滔天 (tāo tiān) — overwhelming; surging to the sky; 滔滔不绝 (tāo tāo bù jué) — talking non-stop; gushing; eloquent.