Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

like; same; similar; together; alike; with

Chinese: 相同、一起。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “tong” becomes a different word in each tone. 同 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 同学tóng xuéto study at the same school; fellow student; classmate
  • 不同bù tóngdifferent; distinct; not the same; not alike
  • 同时tóng shíat the same time; simultaneously
  • 同样tóng yàngsame; equal; similar; similarly
  • 相同xiāng tóngidentical; same

Example Sentence

我和他是同一个班的。Wǒ hé tā shì tóng yí ge bān de.He and I are in the same class.

Iandheshìis同一tóng yíidenticalge(measure word)bānteamdeof

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

An outer cover (冂) over 一 and 口: things brought under one cover and one voice — ‘same, together, alike’.

A way to remember it

Under one roof, one voice — the same.

Easy to confuse with

  • wèn‘To ask’: a door (门) around 口, not a cover over 一+口.
  • xiàng‘Toward’: a similar frame, but a window opening, not 一+口 inside.