筒 (tǒng) - Tube, cylinder, can & a hollow cylindrical object

筒Tone 3

tǒng ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

婷婉

筒 · tǒng

Tube, cylinder, can;

a hollow cylindrical object;

also refers to certain bamboo containers.

Tube, cylinder, cana hollow cylindrical objectalso refers to certain bamboo containers.

Usage highlights

MailboxCylinderTest tubeBamboo tubeTubeBarrel of a gun

Synonyms

  • 管— tube, pipe (similar cylindrical object)
  • 筒子— tube, cylinder (colloquial form)

Antonyms

  • 方— square (shape opposite to cylindrical)
  • 块— block, chunk (solid vs hollow)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The mail is delivered through the mail tube (邮筒).
  • She drank a can of soda (汽水筒).
  • The artist used a cardboard tube (纸筒) to protect the painting.
  • He put the scroll in a bamboo tube (竹筒).

Collocations

  • Mailbox(邮筒)
  • Cylinder(圆筒)
  • Test tube(试管)
  • Bamboo tube(竹筒)
  • Tube-shaped(筒状)
  • Barrel of a gun(枪筒)

Idioms

  • To shoot from a bamboo tube(以管窥天，以蠡测海)
  • Bamboo tube vision(管窥之见)
  • Throwing a bamboo tube to draw jade(抛砖引玉)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to bamboo tubes used as containers in ancient China.
  • Used in traditional Chinese measurement - 'tube' was a unit of volume for grain.
  • Appears in historical texts describing storage containers and musical instruments.

FAQ