通

tōng
#190 most
frequent character
through, common, all, understand
verb
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

通 has 辶 movement as its meaning part and 甬 yǒng as a sound part. It first meant 'to arrive'. From that came a two-way connection, moving something across it, and then 'to communicate' and 'to transport'. It is also read tòng.

通 as a component in other characters

sound1 character
嗵

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

我们要通过这个考试。
wǒmen yào tōngguò zhègè kǎoshì 。
We need to pass this exam.
这条路很通。
zhè tiáo lù hěn tōng 。
This road is very accessible.
他通中文。
tā tōng zhōngwén 。
He is proficient in Chinese.

Same Characters, Different Readings

通tòng
classifier for an activity, taken in its entirety (tirade of abuse, stint of music playing, bout of drinking etc)

Words with similar meanings

通畅tōngchàng
smooth
Indicates that something is flowing freely or easily, often used in the context of traffic or communication.
理解lǐjiě
understand
Focuses on comprehension, particularly in the context of grasping concepts or language.
精通jīngtōng
master
Indicates a high level of expertise or proficiency in a subject.

Words Starting With 通

通知tōng zhī
to notify; to inform; notice; notification
通过tōng guò
by means of; through; via; to pass through; to get through; to adopt; to pass (a bill); to switch over
通常tōng cháng
regular; usual; ordinary; normal
通讯tōng xùn
communications; a news story (e.g. dispatched over the wire)
通俗tōng sú
common; everyday; average

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.