沟通 meaning in English
to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate
Meaning of 沟通
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to join; to connect; to link up
- to communicate
How to use 沟通
沟通 is the everyday word for communicating with someone, especially talking things through to understand each other. It often appears with 和 or 跟, as in 和他沟通 (hé tā gōutōng). Example: 我们需要好好沟通。(Wǒmen xūyào hǎohǎo gōutōng.) We need to communicate properly.
沟 (gōu) means a ditch or channel, and it has the water radical 氵 on the left. 通 (tōng) means to go through, so 沟通 is like digging a channel so water, or ideas, can flow through between two sides.
Common mistake: Learners often write 沟 with the wrong left part or confuse it with 构 (gòu, to construct), which has the wood radical 木 instead of water 氵. Also keep both syllables in first tone: gōutōng, not gòutōng.
沟通 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
沟 gōu · ditch · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
通 tōng · to go through · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 沟通.
| 通过 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) |
| 通知 | tōngzhī | to notify; to inform |
| 普通 | pǔtōng | common; ordinary |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | to be connected; traffic |
| 普通话 | pǔtōnghuà | Putonghua; standard Mandarin |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | regular; usual; normal; usually; normally |
| 通信 | tōngxìn | to correspond (by letter, email etc); to send or receive messages through telecommunicatio |
| 通知书 | tōngzhīshū | written notice |
| 流通 | liútōng | to circulate; to distribute; circulation; distribution |
| 通用 | tōngyòng | to use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc); to be used by everyone (language, textbook et |
| 通话 | tōnghuà | to hold a conversation; to talk over the telephone |
| 通讯 | tōngxùn | communications; news story |
Questions about 沟通
What does 沟通 mean?
沟通 (gōutōng) means "to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 沟通?
沟通 is made of 2 characters: 沟 (7 strokes), 通 (10 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 沟通 an HSK word?
Yes. 沟通 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 沟通 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 沟通 is written 溝通.
What is the difference between 沟通 and 交流?
沟通 focuses on getting through to someone and resolving misunderstandings, often between people with different views. 交流 (jiāoliú) is more about exchanging ideas, experiences or culture, like 文化交流 (cultural exchange).
Can 沟通 be used as a noun?
Yes, it often works like a noun in phrases such as 沟通能力 (gōutōng nénglì, communication skills) or 缺乏沟通 (quēfá gōutōng, a lack of communication).