How to Write 鼗 (táo) — Meaning “Pellet drum”

Imagine the right component 兆 as two small pellets or beads on strings, and the left part 鼓 as a drum. Picture these pellets swinging back and forth to strike the drum, creating the distinctive sound of a pellet drum.

The left radical 鼓 has 13 strokes and must be written carefully; a common mistake is confusing its bottom part with that of 皮. The right side 兆 has 6 strokes, and you should ensure its strokes are distinct and do not merge into a shape like 挑.

Although both characters represent drums, 鼗 refers to a small handheld pellet drum (rattle drum), while 鼙 (pí) is a larger drum used in ancient military ceremonies. Visually, the right side differs: 鼗 uses 兆, and 鼙 uses 卑, so the overall shapes are clearly distinct.

鼗 is a rare character not found in the HSK vocabulary, appearing mainly in historical descriptions or traditional music contexts. It is most commonly seen in the word 拨浪鼗 (bō làng táo), which refers to the traditional toy rattle drum still used in folk performances today.

Common words containing 鼗 include: 鼗鼓 (táo gǔ) — Pellet drum; 鼗声 (táo shēng) — Sound of a pellet drum; 拨浪鼗 (bō làng táo) — pellet drum; rattle drum.