洞 dòng — cave; hole
小动物躲进了一个山洞里。Xiǎo dòng wù duǒ jìn le yí ge shān dòng lǐ.The little animal hid in a cave.
Common words: 漏洞 (lòu dòng)、洞穴 (dòng xué)、空洞 (kōng dòng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "cave"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "cave", including 洞 (dòng), 穴 (xué). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "cave" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 洞 (dòng), 穴 (xué) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dòng, xué — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 洞 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 洞 dòngcave; holeUseful words: 漏洞, 洞穴
- 穴 xuéhole; caveUseful words: 洞穴, 穴位
Common words for these 2 "cave" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 洞 (dòng) — so "cave" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "cave".
穴 xué — hole; cave
中医通过按摩穴位来缓解疼痛。Zhōng yī tōng guò àn mó xué wèi lái huǎn jiě téng tòng.Traditional Chinese medicine relieves pain by massaging acupoints.
Common words: 洞穴 (dòng xué)、穴位 (xué wèi)、地穴 (dì xué)
All 2 characters
Open 洞、穴 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.