通宵

• Pinyin: tōng xiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 通 = 辶 + 甬 — throughout; 宵 = 宀 + 肖 — night

Meaning

All night; throughout the night; to stay up all night.

Describes activities that last the entire night, from evening until dawn. Common in expressions like 通宵达旦 (all night until dawn) or 熬通宵 (to pull an all-nighter).

Examples

1. 为了赶这个项目，我们团队连续通宵了三天。 To meet the deadline for this project, our team pulled all-nighters for three days straight.
2. 年轻人喜欢通宵打游戏，其实很伤身体。 Young people like to game all night, but it's actually really bad for your health.
3. 春节前夜，很多家庭都会通宵守岁，迎接新年的到来。 On New Year's Eve, many families stay up all night to see in the new year.

Usage Guide

Context: work, lifestyle, health

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 熬通宵。(Pull an all-nighter.)
• 通宵营业。(Open all night.)

Don't Say

• 说'通宵一整夜' (通宵 already means all night — saying 一整夜 is redundant)

Origin & History

通 means throughout, 宵 means night — throughout the night.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal