| tāo | bow case/to cover |
| 韬 | bow case or scabbard to hide military strategy |
| 韬光 | to conceal one's talents, gifts, etc. 2.name of a learned Buddhist monk in the Tang Dynasty |
| 韬光养晦 | lit. to cover light and nurture in the dark (idiom); to conceal one's strengths and bide one's time hiding one's light under a bush |
| 韬晦 | conceal one's true features or intentions; lie low |
| 韬晦隐居 | to hide one's light and live in seclusion |
| 韬略 | military strategy military tactics originally refers to military classics Six Secret Teachings 六韜|六韬 and Three Strategies三略 |
| 韬笔 | to let the pen idle; to write no more |
| 韬笔钳口 | (used figuratively of a wise man) to put away the pen and keep the mouth tight |