透气 (tòu qì) — (of air) to circulate freely; to ventilate; (of…

Definition

透气 covers two ideas: air passing through fabric, and going out for fresh air. It is separable (透一下气); for general 'ventilate a room' use 通风.

verb

(of air) to circulate freelyto ventilate(of fabric) to be breathableto allow air to pass throughto go out and get some fresh airto take a breath

，透气。
Fáng jiān tài mēn le, xū yào tòu yí xià tòu qì.
The room is too stuffy; it needs to be aired out a bit.
透气，。
Zhè zhǒng bù liào hěn tòu qì, xià tiān chuān hěn shū fu.
This fabric is very breathable and is comfortable to wear in summer.
。
Wǒ men zài gōng yuán lǐ tòu le liǎng gè xiǎo shí de qì.
We took in fresh air at the park for two hours.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

透tòulet through

透 expresses letting air pass and 气 is air, so together they mean ventilate or breathe.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalking

Sound part声符shēngfú

秀

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

The shape 透 has 辵, a walking part, and 秀, which provides the sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in