Definition
通气 is a separable verb (离合词) with two main senses. Literally, it means 'to ventilate' or 'let air flow.' Figuratively, it means 'to keep each other informed' or 'give a heads-up,' often used informally. As a separable verb, the verb 通 and the object 气 can be split: you can insert measure words, particles, or durations between them (e.g., 通个气 'give a heads-up', 通了半小时气 'ventilated for half an hour').
v.o.
to ventilateto aerateto keep each other informedto give a heads-up (colloquial)
Examples
- 通气。Zhège fángjiān xūyào tōng qì.This room needs to be ventilated.
- 。Yǒu rènhé biànhuà gěi wǒ tōng ge qì.Give me a heads-up about any changes.
- ，。Wǒmen jǐ gè yǐjīng tōng le qì, zhè cì huìyì yízhì zhīchí nǐ.The few of us have already coordinated; we'll all support you at this meeting.
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