汰
washing, sieving, filtering, weeding out, luxury
Readings
On'yomi
- タ
- タイ
Kun'yomi
- おご.る
- にご.る
- よな.げる
Meaning
汰 centers on separating what is wanted from what is not: washing away impurities, sieving, filtering, or weeding out. The luxury sense is a separate, less common application that likely developed from the idea of selecting only the best.
Most common words using 汰
20 of 37- 沙汰さた
affair; state; incident; issue; matter
- ご無沙汰ごぶさたN2
not writing or contacting for a while; neglecting (failing) to write (call, visit, etc.); long silence
- 淘汰とうた
weeding out; elimination (e.g. of unneeded employees); culling; selection
- 音沙汰おとさた
news (from someone); word; letter; tidings; contact
- 表沙汰おもてざた
going public (with a matter); becoming public knowledge
- 手持ち無沙汰てもちぶさた
having nothing to do; having time on one's hands (and not knowing what to do); being at a loose end; being bored
- 糂汰じんだ
salted rice-bran paste for pickling
- 自然淘汰しぜんとうた
natural selection
- 無沙汰ぶさたN2
not writing or contacting for a while; neglecting to write (call, visit, etc.); failing to write (call, visit, etc.); long silence
- 人員淘汰じんいんとうた
personnel reduction
- 人為淘汰じんいとうた
artificial selection
- 仏の沙汰も銭ほとけのさたもぜに
money talks; money is the key that opens all doors; even the Buddha's verdict is (decided by) money
- 内沙汰うちざた
secret government business
- 刃傷沙汰にんじょうざた
bloodshed
- 喧嘩沙汰けんかざた
beginning (developing into) a quarrel (a fight, an altercation)
- 地獄の沙汰も金次第じごくのさたもかねしだい
money talks; money is the key that opens all doors; money is the best lawyer in hell; even the verdict of hell is determined by money
- 御沙汰ごさた
(imperial) words
- 性淘汰せいとうた
sexual selection
- 整理淘汰せいりとうた
reorganizing an industry or enterprise and weeding out redundant workers; readjustment and retrenchment
- 暴力沙汰ぼうりょくざた
(committing, resorting to) an act of violence
Study
Etymology
汰 combines 氵 (water) with 太, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of excess or largeness. The original sense may relate to washing away excess or impurities with water.
Meaning mnemonic
Water 氵 beside 太 (fat, great) suggests washing away the excess to purify. Imagine using water to sieve out the fat and filter what remains.
Reading mnemonic
For タ, picture a tub of water used for washing: tub -> タ, and the water radical 氵 reinforces the washing scene.