DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
套
Mandarin · pinyin tào
Meanings
- to cover
- to encase
- cover
- sheath
- to overlap
- to interleave
- to model after
- to copy
- formula
- harness
- loop of rope
- (fig.) to fish for
- to obtain slyly
- classifier for sets, collections
- bend (of a river or mountain range, in place names)
- tau (Greek letter Ττ)
Characters in this entry
- 套
- tào · case, cover, wrapper, envelope
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
4 · tao4
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
1character link1same-tone record
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Rime · Wiktionary
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
tou3
Cantonese word readings for 套. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- to cover with; to encase; to put on (a sweater, etc.)
- case; cover; sheath; wrapper; envelope (Classifier: 個／个 m c)
- (colloquial) condom (Classifier: 個／个 m c)
- to overlap; to interconnect
- set; suit
- knot
- to harness
- harness
- trick; trap
- (Hong Kong) short for 套房 (“en suite bedroom”)
- Classifier for a set of objects (books, furniture, rooms, etc). ⇒ all nouns using this classifier
character · Etymology 2
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) long
character · Etymology 3
- (Hokkien) alternative form of 軀 /躯 (su, “Classifier for sets of clothing”)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack