普通

Character by character

• 普pǔ12 strokesHSK 2universal, general, widespread
• 通tōng11 strokesHSK 2pass through; common; communicate

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Example sentences

• 我的普通话很好。

  Wǒ de pǔ tōng huà hěn hǎo

  My Chinese is very good.

  Listen

• 你会讲普通话吗？

  Nǐ huì jiǎng pǔ tōng huà ma

  Can you speak Mandarin?

  Listen

• 我明年想学普通话。

  Wǒ míng nián xiǎng xué pǔ tōng huà

  I want to learn Chinese next year.

  Listen

• 他不是个普通的学生。

  Tā bù shì ge pǔ tōng de xué sheng

  He is no ordinary student.

  Listen

Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR), contributed by their community.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 普通. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 通过tōng guòHSK 2

  to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation); to pass (a test); by means of; through; via

• 通tōngHSK 2

  to go through; to know well; (suffix) expert; to connect; to communicate; open; to clear; classifier for letters, telegrams, phone calls etc

• 通知tōng zhīHSK 2

  to notify; to inform; notice; notification

• 交通jiāo tōngHSK 2

  to be connected; traffic; transportation; communications; liaison

• 通常tōng chángHSK 3

  regular; usual; normal; usually; normally

• 通道tōng dàoHSK 6

  (communications) channel; thoroughfare; passage

• 沟通gōu tōngHSK 5

  to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate

• 通讯tōng xùnHSK 6

  communications; news story; dispatch

• 通信tōng xìnHSK 3

  to correspond (by letter etc); to communicate; communication

• 开通kāi tōngHSK 6

  to open (a new road or railway line); to set up (a hotline); to launch (a service); to subscribe to (a members-only service)

• 普遍pǔ biànHSK 3

  universal; general; widespread; common

• 通话tōng huàHSK 6

  to hold a conversation; to talk over the telephone; phone call

• 通报tōng bàoHSK 6

  to inform; to notify; to announce; circular; bulletin; (scientific) journal

• 普通人pǔ tōng rénHSK 7

  ordinary person; private citizen; people; the person in the street

• 通往tōng wǎngHSK 7

  to lead to

• 卡通kǎ tōngHSK 7

  cartoon (loanword)

• 不通bù tōngHSK 6

  to be obstructed; to be blocked up; to be impassable; to make no sense; to be illogical

• 通用tōng yòngHSK 5

  to use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc); to be used by everyone (language, textbook etc); (of two or more things) interchangeable

• 流通liú tōngHSK 5

  to circulate; to distribute; circulation; distribution

• 通行tōng xíngHSK 6

  to go through; to pass through; to be in general use

• 通告tōng gàoHSK 7

  to announce; to give notice; announcement

• 通宵tōng xiāoHSK 7

  all night; throughout the night

• 通风tōng fēngHSK 7

  airy; ventilation; to ventilate; to disclose information

• 通行证tōng xíng zhèngHSK 7

  a pass (authority to enter); a laissez-passer or safe conduct