How to Write 筒 (tǒng) — Meaning “Tube; cylinder”

Imagine a bamboo tube (⺮) that is the same (同) all the way through, just like a cylinder. You can also think of the phrase 'same bamboo' to picture a uniform tube shape. This visual helps connect the two parts to the meaning of 'tube'.

Write the bamboo radical ⺮ first, making sure each half has two short strokes and a vertical line. Then write 同 with a wide box; the inner horizontal stroke must be placed clearly inside. A common mistake is making the bamboo radical too wide or forgetting the horizontal inside 同.

筒 has the bottom part 同, 笑 has 夭 (meaning 'young' or 'laughing'), and 笔 has 毛 (meaning 'hair' or 'fur'). 筒 means 'tube', 笑 means 'laugh', and 笔 means 'pen' or 'brush'. Visually, the bottom parts are completely different, so you can distinguish them by looking at the lower component.

筒 appears in common words like 电筒 (flashlight), 笔筒 (pen holder), and 竹筒 (bamboo tube). It describes any cylindrical container or tube-shaped object. In Chinese culture, bamboo tubes were traditional containers for water or rice, so the character carries a practical, everyday feel.

Common words containing 筒 include: 电筒 (diàn tǒng) — flashlight; torch; 笔筒 (bǐ tǒng) — pen holder; 竹筒 (zhú tǒng) — Bamboo tube.