How to Write 彤 (tóng) — Meaning “red / crimson”

Imagine a bright red (丹) paintbrush that draws three curved lines (彡) across the sky, creating a beautiful crimson sunset. The three strokes remind you of the three lines in the right part, and the left box-like shape is the red paint.

The left part 丹 has 4 strokes: a short left slant, a horizontal hook, a dot inside, and a final horizontal line. The right part 彡 has 3 evenly spaced, slightly slanted strokes. A common mistake is making the three strokes of 彡 too horizontal or uneven in length — keep them parallel and slanting left to right.

Unlike 彤 (meaning red), 形 (xíng) means 'shape' or 'form' and has a different left component (开, 'open') instead of 丹. 㐱 is extremely rare and almost unused today; its left part is different and it has no common meaning. Visually, 彤 has a box-like left side with a dot, while 形 has a more open left side.

彤 appears mostly in literary or poetic contexts, such as 彤云 (tóng yún, red clouds at sunset or before snow) and 红彤彤 (hóng tóng tóng, bright red). It is also used in personal names to suggest a vibrant, auspicious red color. Though not in common daily vocabulary, it carries a classical and vivid feel.

Common words containing 彤 include: 彤云 (tóng yún) — red clouds; 彤彤 (tóng tóng) — bright red; 彤弓 (tóng gōng) — red bow.