通红

• Pinyin: tōng hóng
• Hanzi breakdown: 通 = thoroughly, completely; 红 = red — completely red, bright red

Meaning

Completely red; bright red; flushed. Describing something that is entirely red throughout.

Used for intense, all-over redness. Common uses: 脸涨得通红 (face flushed red with embarrassment/anger), 眼睛哭得通红 (eyes red from crying), 烧得通红 (heated until red-hot), 通红的炉火 (glowing red fire). 通 here means 'completely' or 'thoroughly.' More emphatic than just saying 红.

Examples

1. 他一紧张，脸就涨得通红。 When he gets nervous, his face turns completely red.
2. 她哭了很久，眼睛都红了通红。 She had been crying for a long time, and her eyes were red and swollen.
3. 铁匠把铁块烧得通红，然后开始锻造。 The blacksmith heated the iron until it was red-hot, then began forging.

Usage Guide

Context: description, emotions, physical state

Tone: vivid

Do Say

• 她羞得脸都通红了。(She blushed until her face was completely red.)
• 炉子里的炭烧得通红。(The charcoal in the stove was burning bright red.)

Don't Say

• 淡红色的东西不能用'通红' (Don't use 通红 for light red things — it implies intense, complete redness)

Origin & History

Compound of 通 (completely, thoroughly) + 红 (red). 通 acts as an intensifier meaning 'all the way through.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal