太

tài
HSK 1
#240 most
frequent character
highest, greatest, too (much)
adverb
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

太 is built on 大 dà 'big', which gives both the meaning and the sound. A small 丶 was added to tell it apart from 大. The first meaning was 'big'; from there it grew to 'very, extremely' and 'too'.

太 as a component in other characters

sound6 characters
态汰钛肽呔酞

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Example Sentences

这本书太有趣了。
zhè běn shū tài yǒuqù le 。
This book is too interesting.
天气太热了。
tiānqì tài rè le 。
The weather is extremely hot.
她的画太美了。
tāde huà tàiměi le 。
Her painting is very beautiful.

Grammar Points

HSK 1
Expressing "excessively" with "tai"太…了
HSK 1
Expressing "not very" with "bu tai"

Words with similar meanings

非常fēicháng
extremely
This word conveys a similar meaning of intensity but is often used in a more formal context.
过于guòyú
excessively
This term emphasizes an excessive degree, often used in negative contexts.

Homophones

态tài
(bound form), appearance, shape
泰tài
safe, peaceful, most, grand

Words Starting With 太

太阳tài yáng
sun
太太tài tai
"married woman; Mrs.; Madam; wife
太极拳tài jí quán
"shadowboxing or Taiji, T'aichi or T'aichichuan; traditional form of physical exercise or relaxation; a martial art"
太空tài kōng
outer space

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Public Lists with 太

HSK 1
All words for the HSK 1 test
Weather & Climate
Describing temperature, precipitation, seasons, forecasts, and related terms.
Common Adjectives
Descriptive words for size, quality, temperature, mood, and more.