How to Write 韬 (tāo) — Meaning “to hide; to conceal; sheath”

Imagine a leather pouch (韦) shaped like a scoop (舀) that you use to hide your secret plans. This visual reminds you that 韬 means "to hide" or "conceal." The scoop also hints at the pronunciation tāo.

The left radical 韦 should be narrow, and the right part 舀 is wider. Pay special attention to the top of 舀: it looks like a claw (爫) with three strokes, and the bottom is like a mortar (臼). A common mistake is making the claw too wide or confusing it with another shape.

韬 has the leather radical 韦 on the left, while 韩 has 韦 on the right and means "Korea." 韪 also has 韦 on the left but the right side is 是 (shì), meaning "correct" or "right." So the right component (舀 vs. 是) and the meaning are completely different.

韬 is not common in daily speech but appears in formal or literary idioms, such as 韬略 (strategy) and 韬光养晦 (to hide one's talents and bide one's time). It is often used in discussions of military strategy or political philosophy.

Common words containing 韬 include: 韬略 (tāo lüè) — military strategy; statesmanship; 韬光 (tāo guāng) — to hide one's brilliance; 文韬 (wén tāo) — Civil strategy; Statesmanship.