The character 通 — “go through”: how to write it and what it means
go through; connect
The Chinese character 通 is read tōng and means “go through; connect”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 通
通 has 10 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 通, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 通 is made of
On the left, 辶 “walk”. Inside, 甬 — as in 痛 tòng and 桶 tǒng.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 通
- 普通ordinary, commonHSK 4
- 交通transportation, trafficHSK 4
- 通知notify; noticeHSK 4
- 通过through, by means of; passHSK 4
- 普通话Putonghua, Standard MandarinHSK 4
- 开通activate (a service); open (a line)HSK 5
- 通行passage, pass throughHSK 5
- 通常usuallyHSK 5
- 沟通communicate, find common groundHSK 5
- 通风ventilate, ventilationHSK 6
- 通道passage, corridor; channelHSK 6
- 畅通unobstructed, free-flowingHSK 6
- 精通master, be proficient inHSK 6
- 流通circulate (goods, money)HSK 6
- 通信correspond; communications (industry)HSK 6
- 通讯communication (means); news reportHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 通?
通 has 10 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 通 mean?
通 means “go through; connect”. It appears in 普通 (“ordinary”), 交通 (“transportation”), 通知 (“notify”), 通过 (“through”).
How do you pronounce 通?
通 is read tōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 通 have?
10 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 通 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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