How to Write 洞 (dòng) — Meaning “Cave / Hole”

Picture a cave entrance shaped like the right part 同, with three water drops (氵) falling from the ceiling. Imagine saying 'dòng' as water drips into the dark hole. This connects the sound, the water radical, and the cave meaning.

The left radical 氵 is three dots that should be written compactly and slightly slanted, not in a straight line. On the right, 同 has a vertical stroke cutting through the middle of the mouth-shaped box — do not forget that inner vertical line. Also keep the right side narrower than the left so the character stays balanced.

洞 (dòng, cave) has the right part 同, while 㳄 (xián, saliva) uses 欠 (a person yawning) and 汧 (qiān, a river name) uses 开 (open). These right sides look very different: 同 has a closed box with a vertical line, 欠 has a person-like shape, and 开 looks like two parallel horizontal lines. Their meanings are unrelated to caves.

洞 is very common in words like 山洞 (shān dòng, mountain cave) and 破洞 (pò dòng, torn hole). It also forms 漏洞 (lòu dòng, loophole), which metaphorically means a flaw or leak in a system. In Chinese culture, caves often appear in classic poetry and are popular tourist attractions, like the famous 桂林溶洞 (Guilin karst caves).

Common words containing 洞 include: 山洞 (shān dòng) — Mountain cave; 破洞 (pò dòng) — hole (in fabric, etc.); 漏洞 (lòu dòng) — Loophole / Leak.