筒 (tǒng): tube

Measure Word

一个筒 gè

Meanings

1 tube
2 cylinder
3 barrel

Characters

筒

tǒng

tube; cylinder

Examples

他拿着一个望远镜筒。

Tā ná zhe yīgè wàngyuǎnjìng tǒng.

He was holding a telescope tube.

这个竹筒可以装水。

Zhège zhútǒng kěyǐ zhuāng shuǐ.

This bamboo tube can hold water.

Tips

memory

竹 (bamboo radical on top) + 同 (same) = a bamboo tube. Originally bamboo cylinders were common containers.

usage

Common compounds: 话筒 (microphone), 笔筒 (pen holder), 竹筒 (bamboo tube), 邮筒 (mailbox).

Components

radical

⺮ zhú

bamboo

Bamboo-top radical (cap form of 竹) — two compressed bamboo leaves drooping from a stem. The original 筒 was a length of bamboo: hollow, cylindrical, perfect for holding things. Family: 笔 (brush), 笑 (smile), 答 (answer), 篇 (article), 第 (number).

phonetic

同 tóng

same (here phonetic)

Bottom 同 supplies the sound — tóng drifted to tǒng with a tone shift. Same phonetic in 桶 tǒng (bucket), 铜 tóng (copper), 通 tōng (through), 痛 tòng (pain). 同 also depicts an enclosure (口) wrapping content, faintly reinforcing the hollow-cylinder picture, but the role here is primarily phonetic.