通宵达旦 (tōng xiāo dá dàn) — all night long, from dusk till dawn | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An idiom meaning staying up the entire night, from evening until dawn. Used like an adverb to describe an action that lasts overnight, often implying hard work or sustained effort.

idiom

all night longfrom dusk till dawn

Examples

，通宵达旦。
Wèi le wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù, tā tōng xiāo dá dàn dì gōng zuò le hǎo jǐ tiān.
In order to complete this project, he worked all night long for several days.
通宵达旦，。
Zuó wǎn tā men tōng xiāo dá dàn dì dǎ má jiàng, zhí dào tiān liàng cái xiū xi.
Last night they played mahjong all night long, only resting when dawn came.
，通宵达旦。
Qī mò kǎo shì qián, hěn duō xué shēng dōu huì tōng xiāo dá dàn dì fù xí.
Before final exams, many students will review all night long.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

通宵through the night

通tōngthrough宵xiāonight

偏正Modifier + head

达旦reach dawn

达dáreach旦dàndawn

动宾Verb + object

通宵 means through the night and 达旦 means reaching dawn; together they describe the whole span from evening to morning.

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.

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

宀肖宵

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

肖xiào宵xiāo

Same sound today

宵 pairs 宀 (roof) with 肖, a part that gives the sound.

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

辶大达

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

大

大dà达dá

Same sound today

This form 达 pairs 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 大 as a sound component.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng旦dàn

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

旦 combines 日 (sun/day) with 丁 as a sound part; the story about the sun rising over a line is not the original explanation.

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