通知

• Pinyin: tōng zhī
• Hanzi breakdown: 通 = 辶 (walk) + 甬 (path, phonetic) — to go through, to communicate; 知 = 矢 (arrow) + 口 (mouth) — to know

Meaning

To notify; to inform. Also a noun meaning notification or notice.

As a verb, means to officially inform someone about something. As a noun, refers to a formal notice or announcement, often from a school, company, or government body. Common in both spoken and written Chinese for official communications.

Examples

1. 老师通知我们明天考试。 The teacher notified us that there's an exam tomorrow.
2. 你收到那个通知了吗？ Did you receive that notification?
3. 学校发了一个新通知。 The school issued a new notice.

Usage Guide

Context: work, school, official communication

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请通知大家明天开会。(Please notify everyone about the meeting tomorrow.)
• 我还没收到通知。(I haven't received the notification yet.)

Don't Say

• 我通知你我很开心 (Don't use 通知 for casual personal sharing — it implies formal or official information; use 告诉 for everyday telling)

Origin & History

通 (tōng, to go through/communicate) + 知 (zhī, to know). To make information pass through to someone so they know.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal