透 (tòu): to penetrate; to seep through

Meanings

1 to penetrate; to seep through
2 thoroughly; completely

Characters

透

tòu

to penetrate; thorough; transparent

Examples

HSK 3

他把这件事看透了。

Tā bǎ zhè jiàn shì kàntòu le.

He saw through this matter completely.

HSK 4

衣服湿透了。

Yīfu shī tòu le.

The clothes are soaked through.

HSK 7-9

雨水透过窗户渗了进来。

Yǔshuǐ tòuguò chuānghù shèn le jìnlái.

Rainwater seeped in through the window.

Tips

grammar

透 is often used as a result complement after verbs: 看透 (see through), 湿透 (soaked through), 想透 (think through thoroughly), 说透 (explain thoroughly).

usage

As a complement, 透 emphasizes completeness or thoroughness - the action has fully penetrated.

Components

radical

辶 chuò

to walk; movement

Walking radical wraps under and around - the standard motion-marker that turns a phonetic into a movement verb. It sits in 进 enter, 退 retreat, 通 pass through, 过 cross. Here motion plus 秀 yields the sense of slipping all the way through: penetrating, soaking through, being thoroughly done.

phonetic

秀 xiù

elegant; refined

Inside-right is 秀 'graceful, refined,' supplying the sound - xiù drifting to tòu via well-attested s/t alternation in this series. 秀 itself shows a grain plant tasseling out, a slender shape that hints at the through-and-through, slipping-past nature of penetration.