Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
通tōngto go through
甬path · tǒngSound part
辶walking form of 辵 · chuòMeaning part
辶 hints at the meaning (walking); 甬 (tǒng) hints at the sound. Compare it with tōng.
常chángalways
尚still · shàngSound part
巾napkin · jīnMeaning part
巾 hints at the meaning (napkin); 尚 (shàng) hints at the sound. Compare it with cháng.
Memory aidCloth 巾 with 尚 (shàng) for the sound. Its first meaning was a skirt; now it means “often, usual”.
How to write 通常
通 10 strokes · 常 11 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 通常 (tōngcháng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
通常 (tōngcháng) means “regular” or “usual”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it tōngcháng: tōng with a 1st tone, then cháng with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 通常 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type tongchang with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 通常 from the suggestions. Typing tongchang into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
通常 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
通tōng1st tone, high and level
常cháng2nd tone, rising
