大通 (dà tōng) — (fixed expression) wide road; thoroughfare; (fixed expression) magnanimous; open-minded; (fixed expression) smooth and successful; in accordance with nature

Definition

As an idiom, 大通 means 'broad and unimpeded' — used for a wide thoroughfare, a magnanimous person, or a course of action that goes smoothly. It is not a common everyday word.

idiom
(fixed expression) wide roadthoroughfare(fixed expression) magnanimousopen-minded(fixed expression) smooth and successfulin accordance with nature

Examples

  • 大通，。
    Zhè tiáo dào lù hěn dà tōng, chē liàng kě yǐ kuài sù tōng guò.
    This road is very wide and unimpeded; vehicles can pass quickly.
  • 大通，。
    Tā wèi rén dà tōng, cóng bú jì jiào xiǎo shì.
    He is magnanimous and never fusses over small matters.
  • 大通，。
    Shì qing jìn zhǎn dà tōng, yí qiè shùn lì.
    Things are progressing smoothly; everything is going well.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

大dàbroad
通tōngthoroughfare

大 broad + 通 thoroughfare: a wide, open way.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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

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 →

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