通风

• Pinyin: tōng fēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 通 = 辶 + 甬 — to pass through; 风 = wind

Meaning

To ventilate; ventilation; to let air circulate.

The act of letting fresh air flow through an enclosed space. Important for health, construction, and storage. Also used colloquially for leaking information (通风报信).

Examples

1. 房间里有点闷，开窗通通风吧。 It's a bit stuffy in the room — let's open the window for some fresh air.
2. 地下室通风不好，住久了对身体不好。 The basement has poor ventilation — living there too long is bad for your health.
3. 有人在暗中给对手通风报信，泄露了我们的计划。 Someone has been secretly tipping off the opponent and leaked our plans.

Usage Guide

Context: health, construction, colloquial

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 开窗通风。(Open the window for ventilation.)
• 通风良好。(Well-ventilated.)

Don't Say

• 把空调换气功能说成'通风' (Air conditioning recirculation is 换气 or 新风, while 通风 typically means natural ventilation)

Origin & History

通 means to pass through, 风 means wind — to let wind pass through.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal