How to Write 陶 (táo) — Meaning “pottery or to cultivate”

Imagine a hill (阝) with a small pottery workshop (匋) on it, where a potter is working at a wheel. The right side 匋 looks like a roof over a pottery jar, helping you link the shape to the idea of making ceramics.

Write the left radical 阝 first with two strokes, keeping it narrow. Then write the right part 匋 from top to bottom: start with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal hook, and finally the inner strokes. A common mistake is making the right side too tall or mixing up the order of the inner horizontal lines.

The key difference is the right side: 陶 has 匋 on the right, while 邾 has 朱 (meaning red) and 郁 has 有 (meaning have). Their meanings are also different: 陶 is about pottery, 邾 is a surname or place name, and 郁 describes lush plants or a gloomy mood.

陶 appears in common words like 陶瓷 (ceramics) and 陶艺 (ceramic art), which are used for both traditional and modern pottery. It is also used in 陶醉 to describe being deeply absorbed in something pleasant, like music or scenery. Culturally, China has a rich pottery history, and this character appears in the name of the famous poet 陶渊明 (Tao Yuanming).

Common words containing 陶 include: 陶瓷 (táo cí) — ceramics or pottery and porcelain; 陶艺 (táo yì) — ceramic art or pottery; 陶醉 (táo zuì) — to be intoxicated with or revel in.