塔

See also: 墖

塔	U+5854, 塔 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5854

← 塓
[U+5853]

CJK Unified Ideographs

塕 →
[U+5855]

Translingual

Stroke order
Japanese

Han character

塔 (Kangxi radical 32, 土+10 in Chinese, 土+9 in Japanese, 13 strokes in Chinese, 12 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 土廿人口 (GTOR), four-corner 4416₁, composition ⿰土荅)

References

KangXi: page 235, character 14

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5332

Dae Jaweon: page 473, character 7

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 460, character 6

Unihan data for U+5854

Chinese

trad.		塔
simp. ^#		塔
alternative forms		墖

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (合) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
龕	*kʰuːm
媕	quːm, qromʔ, qɯːm, qramʔ, *qɯːb
頜	ɡuːmʔ, kuːb
答	*tkuːb
畣	*tkuːb
荅	*tkuːb
嗒	tuːb, tʰoːb
褡	tuːb, toːb
撘	*tuːb
搭	tuːb, tʰoːb
榙	tkuːb, ɡuːb
佮	tkʰuːb, kuːb, quːb, quːb
蛤	*kuːb
鴿	*kuːb
合	kuːb, ɡuːb
郃	kuːb, ɡuːb
匌	kuːb, kʰuːb
鉿	*kuːb
閤	*kuːb
鞈	kuːb, kruːb
韐	kuːb, kruːb
鮯	*kuːb
哈	*ŋɡuːb
姶	quːb, quːb
欱	qʰuːb, qʰruːb
盒	*ɡuːb
耠	*ɡuːb
詥	*ɡuːb
塔	*tʰuːb
鞳	*tʰoːb
劄	*rtuːb
跲	kruːb, kob, *ɡob
袷	kruːb, ŋkob
餄	*kruːb
恰	*kʰruːb
帢	*kʰruːb
洽	*ɡruːb
祫	*ɡruːb
珨	*ɡruːb
烚	*ɡruːb
歙	qʰjob, qʰrub
湁	*tkʰub
拾	*ɡjub
給	*krub
翕	*qʰrub
噏	*qʰrub
潝	*qʰrub
熻	*qʰrub
嬆	*qʰrub
翖	*qʰrub
闟	*qʰrub

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *tʰuːb) : semantic 土 + phonetic 荅 (OC *tkuːb).

Etymology

Borrowed from a Prakrit language into the late Old Chinese of Eastern Han (alternatively considered an early form of Middle Chinese), for example in the translations attributed to Lokakṣema. Cf. Ashokan Prakrit 𑀣𑀼𑀩𑁂 (thube), Gandhari 𐨠𐨂𐨬‎ (thuva) and other forms, Pali thūpa, vs. Sanskrit स्तूप (stūpa).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): tǎ (ta³)
(Zhuyin): ㄊㄚˇ
(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): та (ta, I)
Cantonese (Jyutping): taap³
Gan (Wiktionary): ta³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): thap
(Meixian, Guangdong): tab⁵
Jin (Wiktionary): tah⁴
Min Bei (KCR): tă
Min Dong (BUC): ták
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): thap / thah
(Teochew, Peng'im): tah⁴
Wu (Wiktionary): thaq (T4)
Xiang (Wiktionary): ta⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: tǎ
  - Zhuyin: ㄊㄚˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: tǎ
  - Wade–Giles: tʻa³
  - Yale: tǎ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: taa
  - Palladius: та (ta)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰä²¹⁴/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: та (ta, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰa²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: taap³
  - Yale: taap
  - Cantonese Pinyin: taap⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: tab³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaːp̚³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: ta³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰa²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thap
  - Hakka Romanization System: tab`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: tab⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰap̚²/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: tab⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /tʰap̚¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: tah⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /tʰxaʔ²/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: tă
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰa²⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ták
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɑʔ²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thap
  - Tâi-lô: thap
  - Phofsit Daibuun: tab
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰap̚⁵/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /tʰap̚³²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thah
  - Tâi-lô: thah
  - Phofsit Daibuun: taq
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tʰaʔ³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰaʔ⁵/

Note:

thap - literary;
thah - vernacular.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: tah⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thah
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaʔ²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: thaq (T4)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰa̱ʔ⁵⁵/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: ta⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰa̠²⁴/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 塔
Mandarin	Beijing	/tʰa²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/tʰa²¹³/
	Tianjin	/tʰɑ¹³/
	Jinan	/tʰa²¹³/
	Qingdao	/tʰa⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/tʰa²⁴/
	Xi'an	/tʰa²¹/
	Xining	/tʰa⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/tʰa¹³/
	Lanzhou	/tʰa¹³/
	Ürümqi	/tʰa²¹³/
	Wuhan	/tʰa²¹³/
	Chengdu	/tʰa³¹/
	Guiyang	/tʰa²¹/
	Kunming	/tʰa̠³¹/
	Nanjing	/tʰɑʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/tʰɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/tʰaʔ²/
	Pingyao	/tʰʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/tʰaʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/tʰaʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/tʰaʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/tʰɑʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/tʰa²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/tʰaʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/tʰɔ⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/tʰa²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/tʰɒ²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/tʰaʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/tʰap̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/tʰɑp̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/tʰap̚³/
	Nanning	/tʰap̚³³/
	Hong Kong	/tʰap̚³/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/tʰap̚³²/ /tʰaʔ³²/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/tʰɑʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/tʰa²⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/tʰaʔ²/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/ha⁵⁵/

Middle Chinese: /tʰɑp̚/

Rime
Character	塔
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	透 (6)
Final (韻)	談 (144)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	吐盍切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/tʰɑp̚/
Pan Wuyun	/tʰɑp̚/
Shao Rongfen	/tʰɑp̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/tʰap̚/
Li Rong	/tʰɑp̚/
Wang Li	/tʰɑp̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/tʰɑp̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ta
Expected Cantonese Reflex	taap³

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*tʰuːb/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	塔
Reading #	1/1
No.	4979
Phonetic component	合
Rime group	盍
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	榻
Old Chinese	/*tʰuːb/
Notes	巴利thupa

Definitions

塔

tower
pagoda
spire
tall building
(tarot) the Tower
(Taiwan) tart
a surname: Ta

Synonyms

(pagoda): 寶塔／宝塔 (bǎotǎ), 佛塔 (fótǎ)
(tart): 撻／挞 (tà)

Compounds

Derived terms from 塔

保俶塔
保叔塔
僧塔 (sēngtǎ)
冷水塔
北塔山 (Běitǎshān)
千佛塔
半截塔
吐曼塔勒 (Tǔmàntǎlè)
吾塔木 (Wútǎmù)
哈尼喀塔木 (Hāníkātǎmù)
喀勒塔吐格曼 (Kālètǎtùgémàn)
塔中 (Tǎzhōng)
塔吉克 (Tǎjíkè)
塔吉克族 (Tǎjíkèzú)
塔吊
塔城 (Tǎchéng)
塔墩
塔布
塔斯社 (Tǎsīshè)
塔灰
塔畈 (Tǎfàn)
塔路 (Tǎlù)
大雁塔
央塔克 (Yāngtǎkè)
小溪塔 (Xiǎoxītǎ)
打塔墩
托塔天王
方尖塔
水塔 (shuǐtǎ)
水晶塔
炮塔 (pàotǎ)
珍珠塔

祁曼塔格 (Qímàntǎgé)
祭塔
聚沙成塔 (jùshāchéngtǎ)
肯塔基州
舍利塔 (shèlìtǎ)
茅塔 (Máotǎ)
西塔琴
象牙塔 (xiàngyátǎ)
赤塔 (Chìtǎ)
通天塔
金塔 (jīntǎ)
金字塔 (jīnzìtǎ)
阿恰塔格 (Āqiàtǎgé)
雁塔
雷峰塔
骨灰塔
七里塔 (Qīlǐtǎ)
塔里木河 (Tǎlǐmù Hé)
麻扎塔格 (Mázhātǎgé)
九層塔／九层塔 (jiǔcéngtǎ)
倫敦鐵塔／伦敦铁塔
卡塔爾／卡塔尔 (Kǎtǎ'ěr)
名標雁塔／名标雁塔
塔什庫爾干／塔什库尔干 (Tǎshíkù'ěrgān)
塔克拉瑪干／塔克拉玛干 (Tǎkèlāmǎgān)
塔塔爾／塔塔尔
塔塔爾族／塔塔尔族 (Tǎtǎ'ěrzú)
塔手綢／塔手绸
塔提讓／塔提让 (Tǎtíràng)
塔爾巴哈臺／塔尔巴哈台 (Tǎ'ěrbāhātái)
塔納赫／塔纳赫 (Tǎnàhè)
塔臺／塔台 (tǎtái)

塔非亞酒／塔非亚酒
塔頭／塔头
多寶塔／多宝塔
寶塔／宝塔 (bǎotǎ)
寶塔河／宝塔河 (Bǎotǎhé)
寶塔糖／宝塔糖
寶塔線／宝塔线
寶塔菜／宝塔菜
寶塔詩／宝塔诗 (bǎotǎshī)
庫穆塔格／库穆塔格
東塔宗／东塔宗
比薩斜塔／比萨斜塔 (Bǐsà Xiétǎ)
毛里塔尼亞／毛里塔尼亚 (Máolǐtǎníyà)
燈塔／灯塔 (dēngtǎ)
玄祕塔碑／玄秘塔碑
管制塔臺／管制塔台
紀念塔／纪念塔 (jìniàntǎ)
紅塔／红塔 (Hóngtǎ)
納骨塔／纳骨塔
腦塔／脑塔
薩塔爾／萨塔尔 (sàtǎ'ěr)
衣缽塔／衣钵塔
跳傘塔／跳伞塔
跳塔輪鍘／跳塔轮铡
鋪塔／铺塔
鐘塔／钟塔 (zhōngtǎ)
鐵塔／铁塔 (tiětǎ)
闊什塔格／阔什塔格 (Kuòshítǎgé)
雁塔題名／雁塔题名
雙峰塔／双峰塔 (Shuāngfēngtǎ)
靈骨塔／灵骨塔
青貯塔／青贮塔

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (塔):

→ Japanese: 塔(とう) (tō)
→ Korean: 탑(塔) (tap)
→ Vietnamese: tháp (塔)

Others:

→ Thai: ถะ (tà, “pagoda”)

Japanese

Kanji

塔

(common “Jōyō” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 墖)

pagoda, tower, steeple

Readings

Go-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)^{←たふ (tafu, historical)}
Kan-on: とう (tō, Jōyō)^{←たふ (tafu, historical)}
Kun: てら (tera); おか (oka); あららぎ (araragi, 塔)

Compounds

五(ご)輪(りん)の石(せき)塔(とう) (gorin no sekitō), 五(ご)輪(りん)の塔(とう) (gorin no tō): a five-ring or five-level stone stupa
仏塔(ぶっとう) (buttō): a Buddhist reliquary stupa; a Buddhist temple pagoda or stupa
五(ご)重(じゅう)塔(のとう) (gojū no tō), 五(ご)重(じゅう)の塔(とう) (gojū no tō): a five-storey pagoda
石塔(せきとう) (sekitō): a stone pagoda or stupa; a Buddhist tombstone
三(さん)重(じゅう)塔(のとう) (sanjū no tō), 三(さん)重(じゅう)の塔(とう) (sanjū no tō): a three-storey pagoda
塔(とう)屋(や) (tōya): a penthouse; a structure on top of a building, possibly the top of the elevator shaft, the stairs, ventilation equipment, or a water tower
塔(とう)花(ばな) (tōbana): genus Clinopodium, including wild mints and basils; slender wild basil (Clinopodium gracile)
塔(とう)型(がた)クレーン (tōgata kurēn): a tower crane
塔克拉瑪(タクラマ)干(カン)砂(さ)漠(ばく) (Takuramakan sabaku): the Taklamakan Desert
塔主(たっす) (tassu), 塔司(たっす) (tassu): job title for the caretaker of a Buddhist cemetery
塔(たっ)頭(ちゅう) (tatchū), 塔(たっ)中(ちゅう) (tatchū): in Zen Buddhism, the location of a stupa for a past master or founder; the title of the monk in charge of that stupa; a small chapel within a larger temple
塔頭(たっちょう) (tatchō): an old grave; a graveyard, a cemetery
塔(とう)婆(ば) (tōba): a stupa: short for 卒塔婆 (sotōba)
塔(とう)廟(びょう) (tōbyō): a Buddhist reliquary stupa
塔望(とうぼう)遠鏡(えんきょう) (tōbōenkyō): a tower telescope, a tower observatory
塔里木(タリム) (Tarimu): the Tarim Basin

Etymology 1

塔 (tō): a pagoda.

/tapu/ > /taɸu/ > */tawu/ > /tau/ > /tɔː/ > /toː/

From Middle Chinese 塔 (MC tʰɑp̚, “tower, pagoda, spire”).

An abbreviation for 卒塔婆 (sotoba , sotōba), a transliteration of Sanskrit स्तूप (stūpa, “heap”) .

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Goon

(Tokyo) とー [tóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
IPA^(key): [to̞ː]

Noun

塔(とう) • (tō) ^{←たふ (tafu)^?}

a tower (structure)
二(ふた)つの塔(とう)
Futatsu no Tō
The Two Towers
(Buddhism) a pagoda, a stupa
(Christianity) a steeple, spire
(of a castle or fortification) a turret

Derived terms

塔(とう)の層(こし) (tō no koshi): the stacked floors of a pagoda
塔(とう)ノ沢(さわ)温泉(おんせん) (Tō no Sawa onsen): an onsen (hot spring) in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture

Idioms

塔(とう)は下(した)から組(く)め (tō wa shita kara kume): “build a tower from the bottom up” → no good building without a good foundation

Suffix

塔(とう) • (-tō) ^{←たふ (tafu)^?}

(in general) a tower
(Buddhist) a pagoda, a stupa
(Christian) a steeple, spire
(of a castle or fortification) a turret

Etymology 2

First appears in the Engishiki compilation of laws created in the early 900s, spelled phonetically in kanji as 阿良良伎 (araragi). Spelled as 蘭, araragi literally means “wild onion” and refers to the wild rocambole, possibly hardneck garlic, notable for its tall green stalk sticking straight up. Used as a euphemism for 塔[2][1] (tafu at the time), as that word's Buddhist connotations were viewed as taboo in contexts having to do with the religious center of Itsuki no Miya (斎宮, also known as Saikū).

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

IPA^(key): [a̠ɾa̠ɾa̠ɡʲi]

Noun

塔(あららぎ) • (araragi)

(obsolete, euphemistic) a tower
(tarot) the tower, the sixteenth trump or major arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks
short for 塔舞 (Araragimai): the title of a piece of bugaku Japanese court dance

Derived terms

塔(あららぎ)舞(まい) (Araragimai): the title of a piece of bugaku Japanese court dance

Related terms

蘭(あららぎ) (araragi): the wild rocambole

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

Korean

Hanja

塔 (eumhun 탑 탑 (tap tap))

Hanja form^? of 탑 (“tower”).

Compounds

기념탑 (紀念塔, ginyeomtap)
냉각탑 (冷却塔, naenggaktap)
보탑 (寶塔, botap)
시계탑 (時計塔, sigyetap)
탑림 (塔林, tamnim)
탑파 (塔婆, tap'pa)

Vietnamese

Han character

塔: Hán Việt readings: tháp[1][2][3][4][5], đáp[3]
塔: Nôm readings: tháp[1][2], thạp[2], thóp[2], đắp[1]

chữ Hán form of tháp (“tower”).
Nôm form of đắp (“to cover”).

References

Nguyễn (2014).
Trần (2004).
Trần (1999).
Nguyễn (1974).
Thiều Chửu (1942).

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-2] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

[tdcndg-3] Nguyễn (2014).

[gdhn-4] Trần (2004).

[tvctdhv-5] Trần (1999).

[hvttd-6] Nguyễn (1974).

[tchvtd-7] Thiều Chửu (1942).