The character 沟通 is formed by combining two meaningful components. The first part, 沟 (gōu), means "ditch", "channel", or "gully", conceptually representing a conduit or pathway. The second part, 通 (tōng), means "to go through", "to connect", or "to open". When merged, they create a vivid metaphorical idea: establishing a connection is like opening or dredging a channel between two points, allowing a flow, in this case, of dialogue, information, or understanding, to pass through unimpeded.