How to Write 透 (tòu) — Meaning “To penetrate / Transparent”

Imagine a "show" (秀) of a transparent glass door that you can walk (辶) right through. The image of walking through a see-through object helps link the sound and meaning. This visual pairs the radical and phonetic part together.

Write the walking radical 辶 first with a smooth curved bottom stroke, then add 秀 to the right. Keep the left part narrow and the right part balanced. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide, which throws off the character's proportions.

透 (tòu) means to penetrate or be transparent, while 迢 (tiáo) means far away and 迤 (yǐ) means winding or extending. Visually, 透 contains 秀 inside, whereas 迢 has 召 and 迤 has 也. Their meanings and usage are completely distinct, with 透 being much more common in everyday language.

透 appears in common words like 透明 (transparent) and 透气 (breathable). In finance, 透支 (overdraft) is frequently used. Culturally, the idea of transparency is important in business and daily communication, making 透 a practical character for HSK 4 learners.

Common words containing 透 include: 透明 (tòu míng) — Transparent; 透气 (tòu qì) — Breathable / To ventilate; 透支 (tòu zhī) — Overdraft / To overdraw.