台
mostly carries sound (tai · Character component
mostly carries sound (tai, yi, dai, shi, zhi) rather than meaning in the characters that contain it
The graph is made of a small hook-like element on top over a 口 "mouth" below; the top part is generally taken as a writing of 以, used purely for its sound, so the whole character was a sound-sign from early on and its original picture is unclear. In modern characters it works almost entirely as a phonetic: 胎 fetus, 抬 to lift, 苔 moss, 饴 syrup, 迨 until, all share a family of readings built on tai/yi/dai. Note that today's 台 also stands in for the older, much more complicated 臺 "platform, terrace," which is a separate character that happened to be simplified to this same shape.
台 at a glance
- Meaning
- mostly carries sound (tai
- Strokes
- 5
- Characters
- 25
- Role
- Contributes sound
Characters with 台 (21 of 25)
HSK 2 · 1
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 5 · 1
HSK 6 · 2
Beyond HSK · 16
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 台 mean?
台 means "mostly carries sound (tai". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.
How many Chinese characters contain 台?
25 characters in this dictionary contain 台, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
How many strokes does 台 have?
台 is written in 5 strokes.