How to Write 通 (tōng/tòng) — Meaning “To pass through, communicate, or general.”

Picture a person (represented by the 甬 part) walking through a tunnel using the walk radical 辶. The top of 甬 looks like a tunnel entrance, and the bottom like a path – so you 'pass through' completely.

Write the walk radical 辶 last, after finishing 甬. Make sure the top part of 甬 (like the character 用) is narrow and centered, and the bottom of 辶's sweeping stroke extends slightly below the left side of 甬 for balance. A common mistake is making the 甬 too wide or forgetting the dot of 辶.

迢 (tiáo) means 'far away' and is used in words like 迢迢 (distant), while 迤 (yǐ) means 'winding' or 'stretching' like in 逶迤 (winding). In contrast, 通 means 'to pass through' or 'general'. Visually, 迢 has a 召 component (call), 迤 has 也, and 通 has 甬 – so the inner parts are distinct.

通 is very common in daily life. For example, 交通 means 'traffic' or 'transportation', 通过 means 'to pass' or 'by means of', and 通知 means 'notice' or 'to notify'. It also appears in cultural terms like 通宵 (all night) and 通晓 (to be proficient in).

Common words containing 通 include: 交通 (jiāo tōng) — traffic; transportation; 通过 (tōng guò) — To pass, through, or by means of.; 通知 (tōng zhī) — Notice or to notify..