突

tū

犬 + 穴

Definitions

tū (verb) to rush out; to dash forward

tū (adjective) sudden; abrupt

tū (verb) to protrude; to bulge

Etymology

Depicts a dog (犬) suddenly running out of a cave (穴).

About

The character 突 is formed by placing 穴 (cave, hole, or underground den) above 犬 (dog), vividly depicting a dog suddenly bursting out of a cave. This literal scene grounds its core meanings: to dash forward, to emerge suddenly, or to break through obstacles unexpectedly. As a result, 突 broadly describes any action, event, or change that occurs abruptly or with sudden momentum.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

天气突然变冷了。

Tiānqì tūrán biàn lěng le.

The weather suddenly turned cold.

他的成绩很突出。

Tā de chéngjī hěn tūchū.

His achievements are outstanding.

我们突破了难关。

Wǒmen tūpò le nánguān.

We broke through the difficulty.

情况发生了突变。

Qíngkuàng fāshēng le tūbiàn.

The situation changed suddenly.

军队发动了突袭。

Jūnduì fādòng le tūxí.

The army launched a surprise attack.

这件事突显了问题。

Zhè jiàn shì tūxiǎn le wèntí.

This incident highlighted the problem.

他患有突发性疾病。

Tā huàn yǒu tūfāxìng jíbìng.

He suffers from a sudden illness.

两国之间的冲突突然升级了。

Liǎng guó zhī jiān de chōngtū tūrán shēngjí le.

The conflict between the two countries suddenly escalated.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 犬

Component: 穴

突