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同 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
同tóng(used in given names)HSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tóng>胡同[hú tòng]HSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tóngsame, similar; together with, alikeHSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tóngtogetherHSK 5, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tóngwithHSK 5, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tòng(used in given names)HSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tòng>胡同[hú tòng]HSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tòngsame, similar; together with, alikeHSK 5, p, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tòngtogetherHSK 5, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
同tòngwithHSK 5, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #609, Hard
tóng(tong2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1(used in given names)
  2. 2>胡同[hú tòng]
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March 24, 2026
同(仝)tóng(tong2)

The character 同 (tóng) primarily means 'same' or 'together with.' It is used to describe similarities or to indicate that things are in agreement or alignment. Commonly found in various contexts, such as in compound words and phrases, it emphasizes unity or likeness among objects, people, or ideas.

Strokes6Radical口Frequency#609DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of unity and togetherness is highly valued, reflected in phrases like 同舟共济 (tóngzhōu gòngjì), meaning 'to work together in the same boat.' Such expressions highlight the importance of cooperation and collective effort.

Memory Tip

Think of 同 (tóng) as two figures standing side by side, symbolizing sameness and togetherness. The character consists of the radical for 'together' (同), which visually represents harmony and unity, reminding you that 'tóng' means 'same' or 'together.'

Meanings of 同

tóng(tong2)
primary
1(used in given names)
2same, similar; together with, alike
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 同

同Simplified
仝Traditional
6Strokes
口Radical
形容词xíngróngcíacdpv (adj.)Part of Speech
#609Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 同

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Podcast: 同

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AI Study Notes for 同

Quick Contrast

相同 (xiāngtóng) — use 同 (tóng) for general sameness or togetherness, while 相同 (xiāngtóng) emphasizes equality or identity in comparison.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 同 (tóng) as two figures standing side by side, symbolizing sameness and togetherness. The character consists of the radical for 'together' (同), which visually represents harmony and unity, reminding you that 'tóng' means 'same' or 'together.'

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 同 (tóng) with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, making it versatile. Common collocations include 同学 (tóngxué, classmate) and 同事 (tóngshì, colleague).

HSK Study Tips

While 同 (tóng) does not appear in the HSK levels, it is important for learners to understand its role in compound words. Students should focus on how it forms connections with other characters, such as in 同样 (tóngyàng, the same) and 同意 (tóngyì, to agree).

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of unity and togetherness is highly valued, reflected in phrases like 同舟共济 (tóngzhōu gòngjì), meaning 'to work together in the same boat.' Such expressions highlight the importance of cooperation and collective effort.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 同 (tóng) with 伴 (bàn), which means 'companion.' For example, saying 同朋友 (tóng péngyǒu) instead of 伴朋友 (bàn péngyǒu) can lead to confusion. Remember, 同 emphasizes similarity and togetherness.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 同

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Etymology of 同

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a bucket or tube, now written as 筒. 口 (mouth) indicates that the character is only "mouthed", i.e. only used for its phonetic value.

Memory Hint

Sharing a common 凡 tongue 口

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 同?

Decomposition of 同

IDS Structure⿵凡口
同Full Character
=
凡fan2
enclosing
口kou3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 同?

Write 同

同

Practice writing 同 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 同

同 functions as a preposition (often called a "coverb" in Chinese). It introduces a phrase that comes BEFORE the main verb (我在家吃饭, 给妈妈打电话), unlike English which puts prepositions after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____学们都很认真。

The classmates are all very serious.

Example Sentences for 同 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她既然主动提出帮助照看孩子，我也就同意了。

tā jì rán zhǔ dòng tí chū bāng zhù zhào kàn hái zǐ， ， wǒ yě jiù tóng yì。

Since she'd offered to babysit, I took her up on it.
2
同时，把碗置于微沸的水上，将白巧克力放入碗中使其熔化。

tóng shí， ， bǎ wǎn zhì yú wēi fèi de shuǐ， shàng ， jiāng bái qiǎo kè lì fàng rù wǎn zhōng shǐ qí。

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water.
3
这些表达方式经常相互替代使用，但它们的含义确实有所不同。

zhè xiē biǎo dá fāng shì jīng cháng xiāng hù tì dài shǐ yòng， ， dàn tā mén de hán yì què shí yǒu suǒ bù。

These expressions are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings.
4
理查德·张伯伦已经同意接拍《荆棘鸟》的续集。

lǐ chá dé· · zhāng bó lún yǐ jīng tóng yì jiē《 pāi 《 jīng》 jí niǎo 》。

Richard Chamberlain has agreed to make a sequel to "The Thorn Birds".
5
我们感到大家生活的精神层次各不相同。

wǒ mén gǎn dào dà jiā shēng huó de jīng shén céng cì gè bù xiāng tóng。

We felt we were living life on several different planes.
6
针对他们各人不同的需要挑选柔软、软硬适中或者坚硬的床垫。

zhēn duì tā mén gè rén bù tóng de xū yào tiāo xuǎn róu ruǎn、 、 ruǎn yìng shì zhōng huò zhě jiān yìng de chuáng。

Choose a soft, medium or firm mattress to suit their individual needs.
7
我知道你会同我一起祝愿他们诸事顺遂的。

wǒ zhī dào nǐ huì tóng wǒ yī qǐ zhù yuàn tā mén zhū shì shùn suì de。

I know you will join me in wishing them Godspeed.
8
也许你已经被同化了——让你做什么，你就做什么。

yě xǔ nǐ yǐ jīng bèi tóng huà le—— —— ràng nǐ zuò shí， mó ， nǐ jiù zuò。

You may have been socialized to do as you are told.
9
你不一定非要让唇膏的颜色同礼服完全搭配。

nǐ bù yī dìng fēi yào ràng chún gāo de yán sè tóng lǐ fú wán quán dā pèi。

You don't have to match your lipstick exactly to your outfit.
10
你知道，刚开始我并不同意来参加这次旅行。

nǐ zhī dào， ， gāng kāi shǐ wǒ bìng bù tóng yì lái cān jiā zhè cì lǚ。

You know, I wasn't sold on this trip in the beginning.

Cultural Notes for 同

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of unity and togetherness is highly valued, reflected in phrases like 同舟共济 (tóngzhōu gòngjì), meaning 'to work together in the same boat.' Such expressions highlight the importance of cooperation and collective effort.

Word Family of 同

Compounds36
洞dong4cave
筒tong3tube
铜tong2copper (chemistry)
酮tong2ketone
桐tong2Chinese wood-oil tree, Vernicia fordii
胴dong4the large intestine; the body
恫dong4fearful, pained, sorrowful
硐dong4cave; chamber; pit
峒dong4a mountain in Gansu province
姛
侗Dong4big; ignorant, rude, rustic
垌dong4farm, field; used in place names
烔
爨Cuan4oven, stove; to cook
痌
舋xin4split, quarrel, dispute; blood sacrifice
茼tong2chrysanthemum; Glebionis coronarium
餇
鲖
哃
峝
戙
挏
晍
狪
眮
秱
粡
絧
興xing4to thrive, to prosper, to flourish
詷
迵
釁xin4to quarrel, to dispute; a blood sacrifice
銅tong2copper, bronze
駧
鮦
Words Containing This Character20
同时tóngshíat the same time同時
同tónglike
不同bùtóngdifferent
同意tóngyìto agree
同样tóngyàngsame同樣
同志tóngzhìcomrade
共同gòngtóngcommon
同性恋homosexuality同性戀
合同hétóng(business) contract
同学tóngxuéclassmate同學
相同xiāngtóngsame
同事tóngshìcolleague
同一tóngyīidentical
同情tóngqíngsympathy
如同rútónglike
同期tóngqīconcurrent
与此同时yǔcǐtóngshíat the same time與此同時
与众不同yǔzhòngbùtóngto stand out from the masses (idiom)與眾不同
同伴tóngbàncompanion
赞同zàntóngto approve of讚同
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 洞 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 同

同 is often used in Chinese given names to convey the idea of togetherness or harmony, reflecting positive qualities.