通

The Chinese character 通 (tōng) is composed of two parts: the radical 辶 (chuò), which represents movement or travel, and the phonetic component 甬 (yǒng), which is a variant of the character 甬 (yǒng), meaning "wide road" or "thoroughfare". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "going through" or "connecting".The earliest known usage of 通 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC), where it was used in the sense of "to pass through" or "to communicate". Over time, the character acquired additional meanings, including "to understand", "to be proficient in", and "to be connected or in communication".In modern Chinese, 通 is commonly used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to describe the flow of water or electricity, the connection between two places or things, or the ability to understand or communicate. It can also be used as a verb, meaning "to pass through", "to connect", or "to communicate".The character 通 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 一通百通 (yī tōng bǎi tōng) means "to understand one thing is to understand everything", while the proverb 通则不痛，痛则不通 (tōng zé bù tòng, tòng zé bù tōng) means "if something is smooth, it will not be painful; if it is painful, it will not be smooth".Overall, the character 通 is a versatile and commonly used character in Chinese, with a rich history and a variety of meanings and uses.