桃
táo · HSK 5
peach
🍑 桃 = 木 (tree) + 兆 (omen); the tree of good omens — peach symbolizes longevity
In Chinese tradition the peach is the fruit of immortality, eaten by the Eight Immortals. The 兆 (zhào, omen) on the right also hints at the sound táo. So 桃 literally reads as the auspicious tree.
桃 — wood radical 木 + omen 兆
桃 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The wood radical 木 indicates the meaning (a tree), while 兆 (zhào) provides the phonetic clue, though the sound has shifted over time. It originally referred to the peach tree and its fruit, long associated in Chinese culture with longevity and immortality.