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通

Mandarin · pinyin tōng#

to go through
to know well
(suffix) expert
to connect
to communicate
open
to clear
classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc

Mandarin · pinyin tòng#

classifier for an activity, taken in its entirety (tirade of abuse, stint of music playing, bout of drinking etc)

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通: tōng · pass through; common; communicate

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

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Mandarin tones

1 · tong1

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1character link5same-tone records

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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 · 24 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

tung1

Cantonese word readings for 通. 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 · Etymology 1

to pass through; to travel through; to go through; or, to allow passage
to pass through; to travel through; to go through; or, to allow passage — (telephony) to get through
to open up; to clear out; to unblock
to lead to; to go to
to understand; to know
to connect; to communicate
to notify; to tell
logical; coherent
expert
(of Chinese characters) to be etymologically related to and carry a similar meaning to
general; common
whole; entire
(Cantonese) pipe-shaped object
(Cantonese) short for 通心粉 (“macaroni”)
(literary) Classifier for phone calls, letters, telegrams, etc..
(Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) very; most; clearly
(Southern Min) can; may

character · Etymology 2

Classifier for rolls of the drum.
Classifier for actions.

character · Etymology 3

(Southern Min) to lead to
(Hokkien) to go through; to penetrate
(Teochew) to be proficient in
(Hokkien, as a complement) complete; comprehensive
(Southern Min) throughout

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

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