透 tòu — to penetrate; thorough; penetrating; to pass through; to pierce
这场雨把我们全淋透了。Zhè chǎng yǔ bǎ wǒ men quán lín tòu le.This rain soaked us through.
Common words: 透明 (tòu míng)、透露 (tòu lù)、透过 (tòu guò)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "penetrating"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "penetrating", including 透 (tòu), 彻 (chè). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "penetrating" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 透 (tòu), 彻 (chè) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tòu, chè — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 透 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 透 tòuto penetrate; thorough; penetrating; to pass through; to pierceUseful words: 透明, 透露
- 彻 chèpervade; penetrate; pass through; thorough; penetratingUseful words: 彻底, 贯彻
Common words for these 2 "penetrating" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 透 (tòu) — so "penetrating" 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 "penetrating".
彻 chè — pervade; penetrate; pass through; thorough; penetrating
他把房间彻底打扫了一遍。Tā bǎ fáng jiān chè dǐ dǎ sǎo le yí biàn.He thoroughly cleaned the room.
Common words: 彻底 (chè dǐ)、贯彻 (guàn chè)、透彻 (tòu chè)
All 2 characters
Open 透、彻 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.