li t'ai-po: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very lowAcademic, literary, historical
Quick answer
What does “li t'ai-po” mean?
An English transliteration of 李太白, the formal/courtesy name of Li Bai (李白), a renowned Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An English transliteration of 李太白, the formal/courtesy name of Li Bai (李白), a renowned Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty.
Used in English literary and historical contexts to refer specifically to the poet Li Bai, emphasizing his cultural and artistic legacy. Sometimes used metonymically to represent classical Chinese poetry or lyrical genius.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference. Both varieties use it primarily in academic/literary contexts. The Wade-Giles form ('Tai-po') may appear slightly more in older British scholarly works.
Connotations
Scholarly, historical, specialized.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general usage, limited to specific fields.
Grammar
How to Use “li t'ai-po” in a Sentence
[Proper noun as subject/object of discussion][Name] + 's' + [noun (e.g., verse, legacy)]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in papers, courses, or texts on Chinese literature, world poetry, or Tang dynasty history.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
May appear in specialized literary criticism or translation studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “li t'ai-po”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “li t'ai-po”
- Misspelling as 'Li Taipo' (missing hyphen), 'Li Tai Po', or 'Litai Po'.
- Incorrectly using it as a common noun.
- Mispronouncing 'Tai' as /teɪ/ instead of /taɪ/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. 'Li Tai-po' is the Wade-Giles romanization of 李太白, the courtesy name of the poet whose given name is Li Bai (李白 in Pinyin).
In British English: /ˌliː taɪ ˈpəʊ/. In American English: /ˌli taɪ ˈpoʊ/. The key is 'taɪ' like 'tie' and 'po' like 'poe'.
It would be highly unusual unless you are specifically discussing Chinese poetry with someone familiar with the subject. 'Li Bai' is the more common modern reference.
Different systems for transliterating Chinese into the Latin alphabet have been used over time. 'Li Tai-po' comes from the older Wade-Giles system, while 'Li Bai' is from the modern Pinyin system officially used in China today.
An English transliteration of 李太白, the formal/courtesy name of Li Bai (李白), a renowned Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty.
Li t'ai-po is usually academic, literary, historical in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Li TAI-PO: The poet's name sounds like 'Lie Tie Poe' – imagine the poet lying down, tying a bow, and writing a poem like Edgar Allan Poe.
Conceptual Metaphor
A NAME IS A CULTURAL ICON (e.g., 'Li Tai-po is the soul of Chinese lyricism').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the name 'Li Tai-po'?