How to Write 桃 (táo) — Meaning “peach”

Imagine a tree (木) with a big sign (兆) hanging from it that says "Fresh Peaches!" The sign has the shape of two dots and two strokes, which you can remember as two peaches and their leaves. This mental picture links the tree and the sign to the fruit peach.

Write the left radical 木 first: horizontal, vertical, left-falling, right-falling. Then the right side 兆: left dot, right dot, left-falling, right-falling, horizontal, vertical hook. A common mistake is making the right part too tall or too wide—keep the 兆 balanced and slightly narrower than the 木.

桃 contains 兆 on the right and means "peach." 杪 has 少 (small) on the right and means "treetop" or "tip," while 杭 has 亢 on the right and can mean "boat" or be a place name. Focus on the right-side component: 兆 vs 少 vs 亢—they look different and change the meaning completely.

桃 is most common in words like 桃子 (peach fruit), 桃花 (peach blossom), and 核桃 (walnut). In Chinese culture, peach blossoms symbolize spring, love, and longevity—often seen in New Year decorations and poetry. The phrase "táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià" (peach and plum fill the world) praises a teacher for having many successful students.

Common words containing 桃 include: 桃子 (táo zi) — peach (fruit); 桃花 (táo huā) — peach blossom; 核桃 (hé táo) — Walnut.