通 tōng pass through
pass through; to communicate; to go through; to connect; open
How to remember 通: 辶 road + 甬 bell = pass through. Ringing her bell all the way down the market road, the cyclist squeezes past the stalls to pass through.
Component breakdown
通 = 辶 road + 甬 bell
- 辶 road
- 甬 bell
Ringing her bell all the way down the market road, the cyclist squeezes past the stalls to pass through.
How it is used
- To go through / connect / communicate - 通过 (tōngguò) pass through / by means of, 沟通 (gōutōng) communicate, 交通 (jiāotōng) traffic.
- Also 'common/general': 普通 (pǔtōng) ordinary, 普通话 (pǔtōnghuà) Mandarin, 通常 (tōngcháng) usually.
- As a resultative 'through/open': 想通了 (xiǎng tōng le) figured it out, 路通了 the road is open.
Words with 通
- 通过tōngguòby means ofHSK 4
- 通知tōngzhīnotifyHSK 4
- 交通jiāotōngtrafficHSK 4
- 普通话pǔtōnghuàMandarin (common language)HSK 4
- 普通pǔtōngcommonHSK 4
- 开通kāitōngto open (a new road or railway line)HSK 5
- 沟通gōutōngto joinHSK 5
- 通常tōngchángregularHSK 5
- 通行tōngxíngto go throughHSK 5
- 流通liútōngto circulateHSK 6
- 畅通chàngtōngunobstructedHSK 6
- 精通jīngtōngto be proficient inHSK 6
- 通信tōngxìnto correspond (by letter, email etc)HSK 6
- 通用tōngyòngto use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc)HSK 6
- 通讯tōngxùncommunicationsHSK 6
- 通话tōnghuàto hold a conversationHSK 6
- 通道tōngdàochannelHSK 6
- 通风tōngfēngairyHSK 6
- 卡通kǎtōngcartoon (loanword)HSK 7
- 变通biàntōngpragmaticHSK 7
- 相通xiāngtōnginterlinkedHSK 7
- 通告tōnggàoto announceHSK 7
- 通报tōngbàoto informHSK 7
- 通红tōnghóngvery redHSK 7
- 通车tōngchēto open to trafficHSK 7
- 通通tōngtōngallHSK 7
- 通顺tōngshùnsmoothHSK 7
- 四通八达sìtōng-bādároads open in all directions (idiom)HSK 8
- 灵通língtōngfast and abundant (news)HSK 9
- 疏通shūtōngto unblockHSK 9
- 贯通guàntōngto link upHSK 9
- 通俗tōngsúcommonHSK 9
- 通宵tōngxiāoall nightHSK 9
- 通畅tōngchàngunobstructedHSK 9
- 通缉tōngjīto order the arrest of somebody as criminalHSK 9
- 通货膨胀tōnghuòpéngzhànginflationHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他通知我去开会。 Tā tōngzhī wǒ qù kāihuì.He informed me that I should attend the meeting.
- 我通常11点睡觉。 Wǒ tōngcháng shíyī diǎn shuìjiào.I usually sleep at eleven o'clock.
- 我同事的普通话说得很好。 Wǒ tóngshìde pǔtōnghuà shuōde hěn hǎo.My coworker speaks Mandarin really well.
- 考试前要复习，否则很难通过。 Kǎoshì qián yào fùxí, fǒuzé hěn nán tōng'guò.You must review before exams, otherwise it's hard to pass.