. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
Stroke order
Stroke order
Han character
太 (Kangxi radical 37, 大 +1, 4 strokes, cangjie input 大戈 (KI ), four-corner 40030 , composition ⿵大 丶 )
Derived characters
駄 , 态 , 盇 , 㑀 , 㣖 , 呔 , 𡛕 , 汰 , 忲 , 𢪯 , 迏 , 肽 , 𮋮 , 𧘹 , 鈦 (钛 ), 舦 , 粏 , 軚 , 酞 , 𡳁
Descendants
References
Kangxi Dictionary: page 248 , character 10
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5834
Dae Jaweon: page 505, character 1
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 524, character 1
Unihan data for U+592A
Chinese
Glyph origin
Old Chinese
馱
*daːl, *daːds
大
*daːds, *daːds
忕
*tʰaːds, *daːds, *djads
太
*tʰaːds
汰
*tʰaːds
汏
*daːds, *tʰaːd
軑
*daːds, *deːds
釱
*daːds, *deːds
达
*tʰeːds
杕
*deːds
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声 , OC *tʰaːds ): phonetic 大 ( OC *daːds, *daːds , “ big; great ” ) + semantic 丶 – excessive, too (much). The phonetic component however points out the concept of "great" (quantity), so it adds part of the meaning. See also the original version of 泰 , with the component 大 on top.
Etymology 1
A superlative derivative of 大 (OC *daːds, *daːds , “big”) – be too great, very great, excessive.
Pronunciation 1
Mandarin
(Standard )
(Pinyin ) : tài (tai4 )
(Zhuyin ) : ㄊㄞˋ
(Xi'an , Guanzhong Pinyin ) : tāi
(Dungan , Cyrillic and Wiktionary ) : тэ (te, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou –Hong Kong , Jyutping ) : taai3
(Taishan , Wiktionary ) : hai1
Gan (Wiktionary ) : tai3
Hakka
(Sixian , PFS ) : thai
(Hailu , HRS ) : taiˇ
(Meixian , Guangdong ) : tai4
Jin (Wiktionary ) : tai3
Northern Min (KCR ) : tuo̿i
Eastern Min (BUC ) : tái
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing ): tai4
Southern Min
(Hokkien , POJ ) : thài
(Teochew , Peng'im ) : tai3
Wu (Shanghai , Wugniu ) : 5 tha
Xiang (Changsha , Wiktionary ) : tai4
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
太
Reading #
1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
tài
Middle Chinese
‹ thajH ›
Old Chinese
/*l̥ˁa-s/
English
great
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character
太
Reading #
1/1
No.
1937
Phonetic component
大
Rime group
祭
Rime subdivision
1
Corresponding MC rime
泰
Old Chinese
/*tʰaːds/
Definitions
太
too ; so ( modifying adjectives; often used with 了 (le ) at the end of the sentence for emphasis )
太 熱 了 !/ 太 热 了 ! ― Tài rè le! ― It's so hot!
別 吃 太 多 派 。/ 别 吃 太 多 派 。 ― Bié chī tài duō pài. ― Don't eat too much pie.
( usually in negative sentences ) very ; quite
他 不 太 舒服 。 [Taiwanese Mandarin ] ― Tā bù tài shūfú. ― He's not very well.
most ; utmost
highest ; greatest
senior ; noble
( of relatives of older generations ) great-
太 公 [Cantonese ] ― taai3 gung1 ― great- grandfather
Short for 太湖 (Tàihú , “Lake Tai , a lake in Southern Jiangsu , China”).
Short for 太平洋 (Tàipíngyáng , “Pacific Ocean ”).
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
太 (“too; excessively”)
Variety
Location
Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese )
太 , 過於
Northeastern Mandarin
Beijing
太 , 忒
Taiwan
太
Malaysia
太
Singapore
太
Jilu Mandarin
Tianjin
太 , 忒
Jinan
太 , 忒
Central Plains Mandarin
Wanrong
太
Xi'an
太
Xuzhou
忒
Donghai
太
Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
太
Lanyin Mandarin
Yinchuan
太
Southwestern Mandarin
Chengdu
太
Wuhan
太 , 忒
Guiyang
太
Guilin
太
Jianghuai Mandarin
Nanjing
太
Yangzhou
太
Baoying
太
Taizhou
太
Zhenjiang
太
Yancheng
太
Hefei
太
Cantonese
Guangzhou
太 , 得滯 > , 過頭 >
Hong Kong
太 , 太過 , 得滯 > , 過頭 > , 過龍 >
Taishan
得滯 >
Dongguan
得滯 >
Yangjiang
得滯 >
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
太
Singapore (Guangfu)
太
Gan
Nanchang
太
Lichuan
太
Pingxiang
太
Hakka
Meixian
忒
Dongguan (Qingxi)
太 , 過頭 >
Wuhua (Huacheng)
忒
Heyuan (Bendihua)
太
Wengyuan
太
Liannan
太
Jiexi
忒
Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)
太 , 忒
Changting
忒
Wuping
忒
Wuping (Yanqian)
忒
Liancheng
忒
Ninghua
忒
Yudu
太
Ningdu
太 , 忒
Tonggu (Sandu)
忒
Ganzhou (Panlong)
太
Dayu
太
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
忒
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
忒
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
忒
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
忒
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
忒
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
忒
Hong Kong
太 , 過頭 >
Yangxi (Tangkou)
太
Yangchun (Sanjia)
太
Xinyi (Sihe)
太
Xinyi (Qianpai)
太
Gaozhou (Xindong)
太
Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)
太
Huazhou (Xin'an)
忒
Lianjiang (Shijiao)
忒
Lianjiang (Qingping)
太
Mengshan (Xihe)
太
Luchuan
太
Senai (Huiyang)
過頭 >
Kuching (Hepo)
過頭
Huizhou
Jixi
太
Jin
Taiyuan
太
Northern Min
Jian'ou
忒
Jian'ou (Dikou)
忒
Songxi
忒
Zhenghe
忒
Zhenghe (Zhenqian)
忒
Jianyang
忒
Wuyishan
忒
Pucheng (Shibei)
忒
Eastern Min
Fuzhou
過 , 恰
Fuzhou (Changle)
恰
Lianjiang
恰
Fuqing
恰
Pingtan
恰
Yongtai
恰
Minqing
恰
Gutian
恰
Pingnan
恰
Luoyuan
恰
Fu'an
恰
Ningde
恰
Xiapu
恰
Zherong
恰
Shouning
恰
Zhouning
恰
Fuding
恰
Southern Min
Xiamen
傷 , 傷過
Xiamen (Tong'an)
傷
Quanzhou
傷 , 傷過
Jinjiang
傷 , 太
Nan'an
傷
Shishi
傷
Hui'an
傷
Anxi
傷
Yongchun
傷
Dehua
傷
Zhangzhou
傷 , 傷過
Zhangzhou (Longhai)
傷
Zhangzhou (Changtai)
傷
Hua'an
傷
Nanjing
傷
Pinghe
傷
Zhangpu
傷
Yunxiao
傷
Zhao'an
傷
Dongshan
傷
Taipei
傷
New Taipei (Sanxia)
傷
Kaohsiung
傷
Yilan
傷
Changhua (Lukang)
傷
Taichung
傷
Tainan
傷
Hsinchu
傷
Kinmen
傷
Penghu (Magong)
傷
Penang (Hokkien)
傷 , 太
Singapore (Hokkien)
傷 , 傷過 , 過 , 佮
Manila (Hokkien)
傷 , 傷過
Longyan
蓋
Zhangping
傷
Chaozhou
佮
Shantou
佮 , 過
Jieyang
佮 , 過
Bangkok (Teochew)
佮
Johor Bahru (Teochew)
佮
Singapore (Teochew)
佮 , 過
Puxian Min
Putian
傷
Xianyou
傷
Central Min
Yong'an
太
Sanming (Sanyuan)
忒
Sanming (Shaxian)
太
Zhongshan Min
Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)
太 , 過頭 >
Wu
Shanghai
忒 , 過於 , 忒煞 , 忒以 dated
Shanghai (Chongming)
忒
Suzhou
忒
Changshu
脫
Nantong (Haimen)
忒
Danyang
太
Nanjing (Gaochun)
太
Hangzhou
忒
Ningbo
忒
Wenzhou
忒
Jinhua
太 , 忒
Xiang
Changsha
太
Shuangfeng
太 , 忒
Note
> - after adjective or adverb
See also
Pronunciation 2
Note :
tài - when used as 1-character title;
tai - when used after 太.
Note : taai3-2 - “Mrs.” when used on its own.
Definitions
太
Short for 太太 (tàitai , “wife ; Miss ; Mrs ”).
李 太 [Cantonese ] ― lei5 taai3-2 ― Mrs. Li
陳 太 / 陈 太 [Cantonese ] ― can4 taai3-2 ― Mrs. Chan
Pronunciation 3
Definitions
太
† Only used in 太末 .
Compounds
Etymology 2
See Korean 太 .
Definitions
太
( Korean Classical Chinese ) soybean
Synonym: 大豆 ( dàdòu )
Etymology 3
For pronunciation and definitions of 太 – see 泰 (“big ; large ; great ; extensive ; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 泰 ).Notes:
Japanese
Kanji
太
(Second grade kyōiku kanji )
( adjective ) : fat
Readings
Compounds
Etymology 1
From Old Japanese .
Pronunciation
Noun
太( ふと ) • (futo )
fatness
a fat person , a fatty
fat -necked shamisen
thick thread
Synonyms
Derived terms
Prefix
太( ふと ) • (futo- )
added to words describing gods or the emperor or other exalted subjects to denote greatness or excellence
; text here
奈加等美乃 敷刀能里⟨等其⟩等 伊比波良倍 安⟨賀⟩布伊能知毛 多我多米尓奈礼
中臣の 太 祝詞言 言ひ祓へ 贖ふ命も 誰がために汝れ
なかとみの ふと のりとごと いひはらへ あかふいのちも たがためになれ
Nakatomi no / futo noritogoto / iiharae / akau inochi mo / ta ga tame ni nare
Reciting the Nakatomi's excellent ritual offering, whose life was prayed for? Yours.
added to regular nouns to denote fatness or thickness
太( ふと ) 腿( もも ) 、太( ふと ) 箸( ばし ) futo -momo, futo -bashithe thigh (the thick part of the leg), fat chopsticks (used at New Years)
Derived terms
Etymology 2
The Old Japanese 終止形 ( shūshikei , “ terminal (sentence-final) form” ) of adjective 太い ( futoi , “ fat, thick, big ” ) .[ 2]
Pronunciation
Proper noun
太( ふとし ) • (Futoshi )
a male given name
Etymology 3
Derived from the root word 大 ( ō , “ great, big ” ) .
Pronunciation
Proper noun
太( おお ) • (Ō ) ←おほ ( Ofo ) ?
a surname
Etymology 4
From Middle Chinese 太 ( thajH ) . Compare modern Mandarin 太 ( tài ) .
Pronunciation
Prefix
太( たい ) • (tai- )
big , fat , great
Usage notes
Derived terms
Etymology 5
From a colloquial form of 太 in Middle Chinese. Compare the similar corruption in Mandarin 大 (dà ).
Pronunciation
Prefix
太( た ) • (ta- )
big , fat , great
Usage notes
Only found in compounds.
Derived terms
References
Korean
Wikisource
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle Chinese 太 (MC thajH ). The "pollock" sense is supposedly from the surname, after a fisherman.
Hanja
太 (eumhun 클 태 ( keul tae ) )
hanja form? of 태 ( “ large; great; big; excessive ” )
hanja form? of 태
hanja form? of 태 ( “ pollock ” )
Compounds
Compounds
태고 (太古 , taego )
태고 (太高 , taego )
태극 (太極 , taegeuk )
태극기 (太極旗 , taegeukgi )
태반 (太半 , taeban )
태백 (太白 , taebaek )
태백성 (太白星 , taebaekseong )
태부족 (太不足 , taebujok )
태상왕 (太上王 , taesang'wang )
태상황 (太上皇 , taesanghwang )
태수 (太守 , taesu )
태양 (太陽 , taeyang )
태양계 (太陽系 , taeyanggye )
태양력 (太陽曆 , taeyangnyeok )
태왕 (太王 , taewang )
태음 (太陰 , taeeum )
태음력 (太陰曆 , taeeumnyeok )
태음태양력 (太陰太陽曆 , taeeumtaeyangnyeok )
태일 (太一 , taeil )
태자 (太子 , taeja )
태자비 (太子妃 , taejabi )
태조 (太祖 , taejo )
태종 (太宗 , taejong )
태초 (太初 , taecho )
태평 (太平 , taepyeong )
태평성대 (太平聖代 , taepyeongseongdae )
태평소 (太平簫 , taepyeongso )
태평양 (太平洋 , taepyeong'yang )
태평연월 (太平煙月 , taepyeong'yeonwol )
태평천국 (太平天國 , taepyeongcheon'guk )
태학 (太學 , taehak )
태허 (太虛 , taeheo )
태후 (太后 , taehu )
태황태후 (太皇太后 , taehwangtaehu )
동태 (凍太 , dongtae )
만사태평 (萬事太平 , mansataepyeong )
명태 (明太 , myeongtae )
삼태탕 (三太湯 , samtaetang )
이태리 (伊太利 , itaeri )
천하태평 (天下太平 , cheonhataepyeong )
황태자 (皇太子 , hwangtaeja )
황태후 (皇太后 , hwangtaehu )
Etymology 2
A Korean graphic abbreviation of Chinese 大豆 ( dàdòu , “ soybean ” , literally “ big bean ” ) , perhaps attested as early as the eighth century.
Presumably, it was originally used as a logogram for the native Korean word 코ᇰ (Yale : khwòng , “soybean”), without a Sino-Korean reading of its own. At some point—perhaps after the logogramic representation of native Korean words declined following the invention of the hangul alphabet in the 1400s—it became conflated with the visually identical character 太 ( “ large; great ” ) and now shares its Sino-Korean reading, 태 ( tae ) .
Hanja
太 (eumhun 콩 태 ( kong tae ) )
hanja form? of 태 ( “ soybean ” )
Compounds
Vietnamese
Han character
太 : Hán Nôm readings: Thái
Proper noun
太
chữ Hán form of Thái ( “ a male given name from Chinese ” ) .