洞

dòng, tóng

同 + 氵

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

dòng (noun) cave; hole

dòng (numeral) zero (when spelling out numbers)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 同 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 同

About

洞 is a phono-semantic compound comprising the water radical 氵 on the left, which supplies the meaning, and the sound component 同 on the right. The water element originally referred to a fast-flowing water current or a deep body of water, rather than dry ground. Eventually, the meaning moved away from water to the hollows, cavities, grottoes, and deep holes, carved by that water's erosive action. Hence, the modern meaning is "cave" or "hole".

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个山洞非常深。

Zhège shāndòng fēicháng shēn.

This cave is very deep.

洞穴里住着蝙蝠。

Dòngxué lǐ zhùzhe biānfú.

Bats live in the cave.

衣服上有个破洞。

Yīfú shàng yǒu gè pò dòng.

There is a hole in the clothes.

他发现了一个树洞。

Tā fāxiànle yī gè shù dòng.

He discovered a tree hole.

洞悉真相需要时间。

Dòngxī zhēnxiàng xūyào shíjiān.

To understand the truth requires time.

这个漏洞必须尽快修补。

Zhège lòudòng bìxū jǐnkuài xiūbǔ.

This loophole must be repaired as soon as possible.

河水穿过岩洞流向大海。

Héshuǐ chuānguò yán dòng liú xiàng dàhǎi.

The river flows through the cave to the sea.

通过这个小洞，你能看到外面的世界。

Tōngguò zhège xiǎo dòng, nǐ néng kàndào wàimiàn de shìjiè.

Through this small hole, you can see the outside world.

Related Characters

Component: 同

Component: 氵

洞