How to Write 捅 (tǒng) — Meaning “to poke; to stab; to disclose”

Imagine using your hand (扌) to poke through a bamboo tube (甬 looks like a tube or a path). The motion of poking into a tube helps you recall both the shape and the meaning of 捅 (to poke or stab).

Write the left radical 扌 first, with the vertical stroke and then the two side strokes. The right part 甬 has a top point, a small horizontal, and a bottom half that looks like 用 but with a vertical line through it. Common mistakes include making the right part too wide or forgetting the small dot at the top.

Both 捅 and 抨 use the hand radical, but 抨 (pēng) means "to attack or criticize with words" and is made with 平 (flat) on the right. In contrast, 捅 means a physical poking or stabbing action, and its right side 甬 (tube) visually suggests a long object piercing. The meanings are completely different: one is physical, the other verbal.

People use 捅 for physical actions like poking with a finger or a stick, for example 捅一下 (give a poke). It also appears in idioms like 捅娄子 (to make a mess or cause trouble), which is very common in casual speech. Another frequent usage is 捅破 (to puncture something, like a balloon) or metaphorically "to expose a secret."

Common words containing 捅 include: 捅破 (tǒng pò) — to puncture; 捅娄子 (tǒng lóu zi) — to make a mess; to get into trouble; 捅一下 (tǒng yī xià) — to give a poke.