通 meaning and stroke order
To go through; to know well; (suffix) expert
How to write 通, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 通
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to go through
- to know well
- (suffix) expert
- to connect
- to communicate
- open
- classifier for an activity, taken in its entirety (tirade of abuse, stint of music playing, bout of drinking etc)
How 通 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Walk.
辶 gives the meaning and 甬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 辶 (to walk), shared by 131 characters on this site.
How to remember 通
通 is built from 辶 (walk) and 甬 (yǒng), which gives the sound. Picture yourself walking along a clear path that goes all the way through, so 通 means to pass through or connect.
通 (tōng) appears in many everyday words like 交通 (jiāotōng, traffic), 普通 (pǔtōng, ordinary) and 通知 (tōngzhī, to notify). It can also mean a phone line or road is open and working. Example: 电话打通了。(Diànhuà dǎ tōng le.) The call went through.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 通 with 痛 (tòng, pain), which shares the 甬 part but uses the sickness radical 疒. Also remember the bottom of 甬 sits inside the 辶 stroke, which is written last.
Common words with 通
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 通过 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) | HSK 2 |
| 通知 | tōngzhī | to notify; to inform | HSK 2 |
| 普通 | pǔtōng | common; ordinary | HSK 2 |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | to be connected; traffic | HSK 2 |
| 普通话 | pǔtōnghuà | Putonghua; standard Mandarin | HSK 2 |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | regular; usual; normal; usually; normally | HSK 3 |
| 通信 | tōngxìn | to correspond (by letter, email etc); to send or receive messages through telecommunicatio | HSK 3 |
| 通知书 | tōngzhīshū | written notice | HSK 4 |
| 沟通 | gōutōng | to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate | HSK 5 |
| 流通 | liútōng | to circulate; to distribute; circulation; distribution | HSK 5 |
| 通用 | tōngyòng | to use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc); to be used by everyone (language, textbook et | HSK 5 |
| 通话 | tōnghuà | to hold a conversation; to talk over the telephone | HSK 6 |
| 通讯 | tōngxùn | communications; news story | HSK 6 |
| 通道 | tōngdào | (communications) channel; thoroughfare | HSK 6 |
通 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 通
How many strokes are in 通?
通 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 通 mean?
通 (tōng) means to go through; to know well; (suffix) expert. A common word with it is 通过 (tōngguò), meaning "to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation)".
How do you pronounce 通?
通 is pronounced tōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 通?
The radical of 通 is 辶, which carries the idea of "to walk". Dictionaries list 通 under this radical.
Is 通 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 通 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
When is 通 pronounced tòng instead of tōng?
It is read tòng as a measure word for a whole bout of an activity, often something noisy or unpleasant. For example, 骂了他一通 (mà le tā yí tòng) means gave him a good scolding.
Can 通 describe a person who is an expert?
Yes. Added as a suffix, 通 means someone who knows a field well. 中国通 (Zhōngguó tōng) is a China expert, and 万事通 (wànshì tōng) is a know-it-all.