通通 (tōng tōng) — (adverb) all, entirely, completely

Definition

通通 is a colloquial adverb meaning 'all / completely', used to emphasize that nothing is excepted. It is more emphatic than 都 and more spoken than 完全 or 全.

adverb

allentirelycompletely

Examples

通通。
Zhè xiē zuò yè tōng tōng zuò wán le.
All of this homework is finished.
通通。
Tā men tōng tōng bù tóng yì wǒ de yì jiàn.
They all disagree with my opinion.
通通。
Jiù yī fu tōng tōng juān chū qù le.
All the old clothes have been donated.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

通tōngthrough/entirely

通 suggests through or entirely, and the repeated 通 conveys all or completely.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

辶甬通

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

甬

甬yǒng通tōng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →