Dictionary › 通

通

tōng

HSK 4 Character

What 通 means

1. to go through
2. to know well
3. (suffix) expert
4. to connect
5. to communicate
6. open
7. to clear
8. classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc

Other readings

通 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• tòngclassifier for an activity, taken in its entirety (tirade of abuse, stint of music playing

Example sentences

• 请通知我。
  Please keep me informed.
• 我没通过。
  I didn't pass.
• 我们想通了。
  Wǒmen xiǎngtōng le.
  We've got it figured out.
• 汤姆是通缉犯
  Tāngmǔ shì tōngjīfàn
  Tom is a wanted criminal.
• 她通宵读书。
  Tā tōngxiāo dú shū.
  She read books all night.
• 靠右侧通行。
  Kào yòucè tōngxíng.
  Keep to the right.

Words starting with 通

• 通过tōng guòto pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation)…
• 通知tōng zhīto notify; to inform; notice
• 通常tōng chángregular; usual; normal; usually; normally
• 通讯tōng xùncommunications; news story; dispatch
• 通用tōng yòngto use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc); to be used by everyone…
• 通俗tōng súcommon; everyday; average
• 通货tōng huòcurrency; (old) exchange of goods
• 通道tōng dào(communications) channel; thoroughfare; passage
• 通信tōng xìnto correspond (by letter, email etc); to send or receive messages through…
• 通往tōng wǎngto lead to
• 通红tōng hóngvery red; red through and through; to blush (deep red)
• 通报tōng bàoto inform; to notify; to announce
• 通知书tōng zhī shūwritten notice
• 通告tōng gàoto announce; to give notice; announcement
• 通话tōng huàto hold a conversation; to talk over the telephone; phone call
• 通向tōng xiàngto lead to
• 通行tōng xíngto go through; to pass through; to be in general use
• 通宵tōng xiāoall night; throughout the night
• 通风tōng fēngairy; ventilation; to ventilate
• 通行证tōng xíng zhènga pass (authority to enter); a laissez-passer or safe conduct
• 通货膨胀tōng huò péng zhànginflation
• 通讯员tōng xùn yuáncorrespondent; reporter; messenger boy
• 通电话tōng diàn huàto phone sb up
• 通通tōng tōngall; entire; complete

Words containing 通

• 普通话pǔ tōng huàPutonghua; standard Mandarin
• 交通jiāo tōngto be connected; traffic; transportation
• 普通pǔ tōngcommon; ordinary; general
• 沟通gōu tōngto join; to connect; to link up; to communicate
• 流通liú tōngto circulate; to distribute; circulation; distribution
• 卡通kǎ tōngcartoon (loanword)
• 精通jīng tōngto be proficient in; to master (a subject)
• 畅通chàng tōngunobstructed; unimpeded; free-flowing; smooth
• 不通bù tōngto be obstructed; to be blocked up; to be impassable
• 开通kāi tōngto open (a new road or railway line); to set up (a hotline); to launch (a service)…
• 联通lián tōngconnection; link; to link together
• 普通人pǔ tōng rénordinary person; private citizen; people
• 灵通líng tōngfast and abundant (news); clever; effective
• 交通工具jiāo tōng gōng jùmeans of transportation; vehicle
• 拨通bō tōngto get through to sb on the phone
• 相通xiāng tōnginterlinked; connected; communicating
• 打通dǎ tōngto open access; to establish contact; to remove a block
• 互通hù tōngto intercommunicate; to interoperate
• 接通jiē tōngto connect; to put through
• 扑通pū tōng(onomatopoeia) sound of object falling into water; plop
• 想通xiǎng tōngto figure out; to realize; to become convinced
• 普普通通pǔ pǔ tōng tōngordinary; mediocre; nothing special
• 贯通guàn tōngto link up; to thread together
• 灯火通明dēng huǒ tōng míngbrightly lit

Characters built on 甬

These share the phonetic component 甬 (yǒng), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 痛tòngache; pain; sorrow
• 勇yǒngbrave
• 桶tǒngbucket; (trash) can; barrel (of oil etc)
• 涌yǒngto well up; to gush forth; to surge
• 诵sòngto read aloud; to recite
• 捅tǒngto poke; to jab; to give (sb) a nudge; to prod; to disclose; to reveal
• 恿yǒngused in 怂恿
• 踊yǒngleap

Characters that look like 通

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 退tuìto retreat; to withdraw; to reject; to return (sth); to decline
• 透tòu(bound form) to penetrate; to seep through; to tell secretly; to leak; thoroughly…
• 递dìto hand over; to pass on; to deliver; (bound form) progressively; in the proper order
• 逗dòuto tease (playfully); to entice; (colloquial) to joke; (colloquial) funny; amusing
• 逞chěngto show off; to flaunt; to carry out or succeed in a scheme
• 迸bèngto burst forth; to spurt; to crack

Sounds the same

Read tōng, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 嗵(onomatopoeia) thump; thud
• 痌moaning in pain
• 蓪Aralia papyrifera