📕 Advanced — HSK 5-6 vocabulary
Meaning
Classifier for phone calls, formal documents, and lengthy communications.
🏮 Cultural Story
中文 Chinese
"通"作为量词最经典的搭配就是"一通电话"。你有没有发现，中文里很少说"一个电话"？因为打电话不是一个静态的对象，而是一系列动作——拿起电话、拨号、交谈、挂断。"一通电话"完美地描述了这个**过程性**的事件。"通"还有个口语用法："乱说一通"意思是胡说八道了一阵子（像一阵风一样吹过）。"折腾一通"意思是忙活了一大番。这里的"通"都带有"一连串动作"的含义。
English
**通 (tōng)**'s classic pairing is "a phone call." Notice Chinese rarely says "a phone (个)"? Because calling isn't a static object but a sequence of actions — pick up, dial, talk, hang up. "A call" perfectly captures this **processual** event. Colloquial usage: "talk nonsense for a while (通)" = ramble on like wind passing. "Fuss about (通)" = busy oneself extensively. Here 通 implies "a series of actions."
💡 Memory Tip
Most commonly used in 一通电话 (a phone call). Can also mean 'a spree/streak of doing something'.
Examples
Common Nouns Used With
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Video Examples
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YouGlish
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Classifier for phone calls, formal documents, and lengthy communications.