How to Write 潼 (tóng) — Meaning “high or lofty; name of a pass”

Picture a child (童) splashing water (氵) at a high mountain pass — the water droplets fly high and lofty, just like the meaning of 潼. The image of a child playing by a river at Tongguan Pass can help link the form to the meaning.

The left side 氵 (three dots) should be written compact and slightly above the middle, while the right side 童 is taller and wider. The top of 童 has a vertical stroke (立) that must align with the center, and the vertical stroke inside 里 should be straight — a common mistake is making 里 too wide or unbalanced.

潼 has the component 童 on the right, while 溏 (táng) has 唐 (Tang) and means "pond" or "muddy." 源 (yuán) has 原 (origin) on the right and means "source" of a river. Visually, remember that 潼's right side has the distinct shape of 童 with a vertical line down the middle, unlike 溏's 唐 or 源's 原.

潼 appears mainly in place names like 潼关 (Tongguan Pass) and 潼南 (a district in Chongqing), so you encounter it in geography or history contexts. It is rarely used in daily conversation, but knowing it helps when reading about ancient Chinese battles or travel sites along the Yellow River.

Common words containing 潼 include: 潼关 (tóng guān) — Tongguan (a famous mountain pass); 潼南 (tóng nán) — Tongnan (a district in Chongqing); 潼潼 (tóng tóng) — Tongtong (a nickname).