淘汰

• Pinyin: táo tài
• Hanzi breakdown: 淘 = 氵(water) + 匋 (pottery); 汰 = 氵(water) + 太 (too much) — washing away excess

Meaning

To eliminate; to phase out; to weed out. Removing what is inferior or outdated.

Used in competitions (eliminating contestants), business (phasing out products), evolution (natural selection), and technology (replacing old systems). Implies a selection process where the weak or outdated are removed.

Examples

1. 这款手机已经被市场淘汰了，现在连配件都买不到。 This phone model has been phased out by the market — you can't even buy parts for it anymore.
2. 比赛采用淘汰制，输一场就直接出局。 The competition uses an elimination format — lose one match and you're out.
3. 企业必须不断创新，否则很快就会被竞争对手淘汰。 Companies must innovate constantly, or they'll quickly be eliminated by competitors.

Usage Guide

Context: competition, business, technology

Tone: matter-of-fact

Do Say

• 落后就要被淘汰。(Fall behind and you'll be eliminated.)
• 这个产品已经被淘汰了。(This product has been phased out.)

Don't Say

• 把正常退休说成'被淘汰' (Don't call normal retirement '被淘汰' — that implies failure)

Origin & History

淘 means to wash and select, 汰 means to wash out — selecting by washing away the inferior.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal