tao

See also: Tao, tāo, táo, tǎo, tào, tão, tạo, and TAO

English

Alternative forms

• dao

Etymology

From the Wade–Giles romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 道 (tao⁴).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daʊ/, /taʊ/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊ

Proper noun

tao

1. (Chinese philosophy and religion) Alternative letter-case form of Tao: the way of nature or way to live one's life.
   • 2021, Olof G. Lidin, From Taoism to Einstein, p. 196:

     The tao of Lao Tzu was a cosmic tao, inner and unwritten, a tao of Nature, while the tao of Confucius was moral and written.

Noun

tao (usually uncountable, plural taos)

1. (by extension) The art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing.

   the tao of sex... the tao of the heart... the tao of integuments...

2. (historical, obsolete) Synonym of circuit: various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China.

Synonyms

• (harmonious skill) zen

See also

• ananke

Anagrams

• AOT, ATO, OTA, Ota, To'a, oat, toa

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Bikol Central

Etymology 1

Unknown.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ta‧o
• IPA^(key): /taˈʔo/

Verb

tào

1. to give

   Itao mo na sakuya an kuwarta.

   Just give me the money.

Derived terms

• itao
• magtao
• manao
• panao
• tawan

 

Etymology 2

From Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ta‧o
• IPA^(key): /ˈtaʔo/

Noun

táo

1. Alternative form of tawo.

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Butuanon

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau.

Noun

tao

1. person; human

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Finnish

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑoˣ/, [ˈt̪ɑo̞(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -ɑo
• Syllabification^(key): ta‧o

Verb

tao

1. inflection of takoa:
   1. indicative present connegative
   2. second-person singular imperative present/present connegative

Etymology 2

From Chinese 道 (dào).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑo/, [ˈt̪ɑo̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑo
• Syllabification^(key): ta‧o

Noun

tao

1. tao

Declension

Inflection of tao (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		tao	—
genitive		taon	—
partitive		taoa	—
illative		taoon	—
		singular	plural
nominative		tao	—
accusative	nom.	tao	—
	gen.	taon
genitive		taon	—
partitive		taoa	—
inessive		taossa	—
elative		taosta	—
illative		taoon	—
adessive		taolla	—
ablative		taolta	—
allative		taolle	—
essive		taona	—
translative		taoksi	—
instructive		—	—
abessive		taotta	—
comitative		—	—

Possessive forms of tao (type valo)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	taoni	taomme
2nd person	taosi	taonne
3rd person	taonsa

Anagrams

• oat, ota

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French

Noun

tao m (plural taos)

1. (philosophy) Tao

Further reading

• “tao”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Galo

Noun

tao

1. thorn, splinter

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Hiligaynon

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, Proto-Austronesian *Cau.

Noun

táo

1. man; person

Verb

táo

1. to be born

Etymology 2

Verb

táo

1. to look after or guard the house

Etymology 3

Verb

taó

1. (Hiniráya, Binukídnon) to give; to donate; to make a present of

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Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtɒoː]
• Hyphenation: tao
• Rhymes: -oː

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Mandarin 道 (dào, “way, path”).

Noun

tao

1. tao

Declension

Inflection of tao
	singular	plural
nominative	tao	taók
accusative	taót	taókat
dative	taónak	taóknak
instrumental	taóval	taókkal
causal-final	taóért	taókért
translative	taóvá	taókká
terminative	taóig	taókig
essive-formal	taoként	taókként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	taóban	taókban
superessive	taón	taókon
adessive	taónál	taóknál
illative	taóba	taókba
sublative	taóra	taókra
allative	taóhoz	taókhoz
elative	taóból	taókból
delative	taóról	taókról
ablative	taótól	taóktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	taóé	taóké
non-attributive possessive - plural	taóéi	taókéi

Possessive forms of tao
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	taóm	taóim
2nd person sing.	taód	taóid
3rd person sing.	taója	taói
1st person plural	taónk	taóink
2nd person plural	taótok	taóitok
3rd person plural	taójuk	taóik

Derived terms

• taoista
• taoizmus

Etymology 2

Abbreviation from the name of the act on társasági adó és osztalékadó (“corporate tax and dividend tax”).

Noun

tao

1. Acronym of társasági adó és osztalékadó.

Declension

Inflection of tao
	singular	plural
nominative	tao	taók
accusative	taót	taókat
dative	taónak	taóknak
instrumental	taóval	taókkal
causal-final	taóért	taókért
translative	taóvá	taókká
terminative	taóig	taókig
essive-formal	taoként	taókként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	taóban	taókban
superessive	taón	taókon
adessive	taónál	taóknál
illative	taóba	taókba
sublative	taóra	taókra
allative	taóhoz	taókhoz
elative	taóból	taókból
delative	taóról	taókról
ablative	taótól	taóktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	taóé	taóké
non-attributive possessive - plural	taóéi	taókéi

Possessive forms of tao
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	taóm	taóim
2nd person sing.	taód	taóid
3rd person sing.	taója	taói
1st person plural	taónk	taóink
2nd person plural	taótok	taóitok
3rd person plural	taójuk	taóik

Derived terms

• taózás
• taózik

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Ilocano

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, Proto-Austronesian *Cau.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ta‧o
• IPA^(key): /ˈtao/, [ˈtɐ.o]

Noun

tao

1. person
2. human

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Italian

Alternative forms

• dao

Etymology

From the Wade-Giles romanization of Chinese 道 (Dào, literally “the Way”) or (dào, "circuit").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈta.o/
• Rhymes: -ao
• Hyphenation: tà‧o

Noun

tao m (invariable)

1. (philosophy) Tao

Derived terms

• taoismo
• taoista

Anagrams

• -ato

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Japanese

Romanization

tao

1. Rōmaji transcription of たお

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Malagasy

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀuq. Compare Indonesian taruh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [to]

Noun

tao

1. act, action
2. preparation

Verb

tao

1. to do
2. to prepare, arm, take precautions

Related terms

	Focus (Voice)
Agent (Active)	man-form: manao
	mi-form: mitao
	om-form: --
Patient (Passive)	--
	alternate: --
	a-form: atao
	voa-form: voatao
	tafa-form: --
Goal (Relative)	an-form: anaovana
	i-form: itaovana

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Mandarin

Romanization

tao

1. Nonstandard spelling of tāo.
2. Nonstandard spelling of táo.
3. Nonstandard spelling of tǎo.
4. Nonstandard spelling of tào.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Maori

Noun

tao

1. spear

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Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Mandarin 道.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈta.ɔ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɔ
• Syllabification: ta‧o

Noun

tao n (indeclinable)

1. (philosophy, Taoism) Tao (Chinese philosophical term)

   Synonym: dao

Related terms

adjective

• taoistyczny

 

nouns

• taoista
• taoistka
• taoizm

 

Further reading

• tao in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• tao in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Romanian

Etymology

From French tao or English tao.

Noun

tao n (uncountable)

1. tao

Declension

declension of tao (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) tao	taoul
genitive/dative	(unui) tao	taoului
vocative	taoule

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Samoan

Noun

tao

1. spear

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Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Noun

tao (ma class, plural matao)

1. arch

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Tagalog

Alternative forms

• tauo, tau – obsolete
• tawo – dialectal

Etymology

From tawo, from Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau. Cognate with Thao caw, Ilocano tao, Cebuano tawo, and Motu tau.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ta‧o
• IPA^(key): /ˈtaʔo/, [ˈta.ʔo] (noun)
• IPA^(key): /taˈʔo/, [tɐˈʔo] (adjective)

Noun

tao (Baybayin spelling ᜆᜂ)

1. human; human being; person; man
2. (colloquial) people
3. one of the faces of a coin

   Synonym: tihaya

4. (colloquial) husband
5. person left alone in a place as a guard or caretaker (when others are away)

   Synonyms: bantay, tanod

Derived terms

• ang taong gipit, sa patalim kumakapit
• baguntao
• daktao
• dalubtao
• dalubtauhan
• gawang-tao
• higtao
• kapwa-tao
• karamihang-tao
• karaniwang-tao
• karapatang pantao
• katao
• katauhan
• lampas-tao
• madlang-tao
• magdalang-tao
• magkatao
• magkatawang-tao
• magpakatao
• magpakitang-tao
• magpatao
• makatao
• malay-tao
• mamamatay-tao
• matao
• matauhan
• may-tao
• nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa
• pagdadalang-tao
• pagkatao
• pagpapakatao
• pagpapanauhan
• pagpapatao
• pagsasatao
• pagtao
• pagtatao
• pakitang-tao
• palatauhan
• panao
• panauhan
• panauhin
• patao
• sangkatauhan
• sa pagkatao
• tagatao
• tagataong-bahay
• taong-bahay
• taong-bayan
• taong-grasa
• taong-gubat
• taong-gubat
• taong-putik
• tao po
• tao-tauhan
• tauhan
• tauhin
• tawiran ng tao
• tumao

 

Related terms

• balintataw
• katawan

 

Adjective

taó (Baybayin spelling ᜆᜂ)

1. (archaic) mortal

   Synonym: mortal

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Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• (North Central Vietnam) tau
• (abbreviation) t

Etymology

From Proto-Vietic *soː (“I; me”).

There are 1st person single pronouns in Northern Austroasiatic branches with back vocalism and null-initial such as Mang ʔuː⁴, Khmu [Cuang] ʔoʔ, Riang [Sak] ʔoʔ¹, Pnar o. However, the only case of competing *s- vs. null-onset in Vietic is Proto-Vietic *suh ~ *ʔuh (“nest”), which gave rise to Vietnamese tổ and ổ respectively.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [taːw˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [taːw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [taːw˧˧]

Pronoun

tao • (傮, 蚤, 𠋺)

1. (impolite, familiar, disrepectful or hostile) I/me

   Antonyms: mày, mi

Anagrams

• toa

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Yami

Etymology

From Proto-Philippine *tau, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tau, from Proto-Austronesian *Cau.

Noun

tao

1. person; human