DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

透

Mandarin · pinyin tòu

(bound form) to penetrate; to seep through
to tell secretly; to leak
thoroughly; through and through
to appear; to show

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Characters in this entry

透: tòu · penetrate, pass through

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4 · tou4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 9 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

tau3

Cantonese word readings for 透. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

to penetrate; to pass through
to show; to reveal
to disclose
thoroughly; completely
clear and thorough
(Cantonese) transparent
(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 透 (MC thuwH)
(Jin or Internet slang, vulgar, derogatory) fuck

character

(obsolete) startled; alarmed; disturbed

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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