苔
Character learning workspace

tāi / tái · moss, lichen

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 苔

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

苔 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

tāi

used in 舌苔[she2 tai1]

舌苔shé tāi ·
tái

moss; lichen; liverwort

生苔shēng tái · mossy
Step-by-step explorer

See how 苔 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

8Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

艹Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

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Vocabulary in context

Common words with 苔

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

táimoss; lichen; liverwort
tāiused in 舌苔[she2 tai1]
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Example sentences

Notice where 苔 sits in each complete thought.

“ gǔn shí bù shēng tái ” shì yí jù yàn yǔ.“滚石不生苔”是一句谚语。

"A rolling stone gathers no moss" is a proverb.

Source: Tatoeba #334494 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Ràng tái xiǎn gài shàng wǒ de fén mù ba.让苔藓盖上我的坟墓吧。

Let moss cover my grave.

Source: Tatoeba #4439896 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Gǔn shí bù shēng tái.滾石不生苔。

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Source: Tatoeba #5617157 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Jīn nián sì yuè, tái sī zài jiào huì jí huì shàng fēn xiǎng le tā de jīng yàn.今年四月,苔絲在教會集會上分享了她的經驗。

Tessa shared her experience in a chapel assembly this April.

Source: Tatoeba #13575567 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 苔 in context

  1. Say tāi / tái, then recall the core meaning: moss, lichen.
  2. Write all 8 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 生苔 (shēng tái), meaning “mossy”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 苔 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.