tòng: 痛 - Pain, Ache, Sore; Sorrowful

• Keywords: tòng, 痛, Chinese for pain, Chinese for ache, Chinese for sore, how to say it hurts in Chinese, stomach ache in Chinese, headache in Chinese, emotional pain in Chinese, heartache, 心痛, 疼 vs 痛, HSK 3 Chinese word
• Summary: The Chinese word 痛 (tòng) is the fundamental character for expressing both physical and emotional pain. Whether you have a simple headache (头痛), a stomach ache (肚子痛), or are experiencing deep emotional heartache (心痛), 痛 (tòng) is the essential term you need. This guide will break down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical use in everyday conversation, helping you understand how to describe everything from a minor ache to profound sorrow in authentic Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tòng
• Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective, Adverb
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To hurt, ache, or feel pain; to be sorrowful or grievous.
• In a Nutshell: 痛 (tòng) is your all-purpose word for pain. Think of it as the core concept of “hurt” in English. It's used to pinpoint a physical sensation, like a doctor asking “Where does it hurt?” It's also used to describe deep emotional suffering, like the “pain” of a breakup or seeing a loved one in distress. It’s a direct, powerful, and incredibly common word.

• 痛 (tòng) is a phono-semantic compound character, meaning it has one part for meaning and one part for sound.
• Radical 疒 (nè): This is the “sickness radical.” You'll see it in many characters related to illness, disease, and physical discomfort (e.g., 病 bìng - illness, 瘦 shòu - thin). Its presence immediately signals that 痛 is about an unpleasant physical state.
• Phonetic component 甬 (yǒng): This component primarily provides the sound for the character.
• How they combine: The “sickness” radical (疒) gives the meaning of disease or discomfort, and the phonetic component (甬) gives the sound. Together, they create the character 痛 (tòng), a feeling of discomfort or “sickness” that we call pain.

In Chinese culture, the line between physical and emotional pain is often more blurred than in the West. While Western thought, influenced by mind-body dualism, tends to separate “a broken leg” from “a broken heart,” Chinese language and traditional medicine often see them as interconnected. The most powerful example of this is the word 心痛 (xīntòng), which literally translates to “heart-pain.” While English has “heartache,” 心痛 is used with much greater frequency and visceral feeling in Chinese. It's not just a metaphor; it describes the almost physical sensation of sorrow, empathy, or regret. You can feel 心痛 for a friend going through a hard time, for wasting money, or for a tragic event in the news. This concept aligns with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which views pain (both physical and emotional) as a symptom of blocked or stagnant 气 (qì), or life energy. Therefore, emotional distress can manifest as physical symptoms and vice-versa. Understanding 痛 (tòng) is understanding this holistic view of human experience, where the heart can literally ache from sorrow.

痛 is extremely versatile and used in many daily situations. *1. Describing Physical Pain* This is its most common use. The structure is simple: [Body Part] + 痛.

• 头痛 (tóutòng) - Headache
• 肚子痛 (dùzi tòng) - Stomach ache
• 牙痛 (yá tòng) - Toothache
• 喉咙痛 (hóulóng tòng) - Sore throat

*2. Describing Emotional Pain* This usage is profound and common, often centered around the character 心 (xīn), meaning heart/mind.

• 心痛 (xīntòng) - Heartache, feeling pained for someone/something.
• 痛苦 (tòngkǔ) - Suffering, misery (a deeper, more prolonged state of pain).
• 悲痛 (bēitòng) - Grieved, sorrowful (more formal/literary).

*3. As an Adverb for Emphasis* 痛 can be used before another verb to mean “thoroughly,” “bitterly,” or “to one's heart's content.” It intensifies the action.

• 痛哭 (tòngkū) - To cry bitterly, to weep one's heart out.
• 痛骂 (tòngmà) - To scold furiously.
• 痛快 (tòngkuài) - (Literally “painfully fast”) Forthright; carefree; satisfying. This is a positive word, describing the pleasure of doing something without inhibition.

• Example 1:
• 我今天头很痛，不想上班。
• Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān tóu hěn tòng, bùxiǎng shàngbān.
• English: I have a bad headache today, I don't want to go to work.
• Analysis: A classic example of physical pain using the `[Body Part] + 痛` structure. Straightforward and very common.
• Example 2:
• 医生问我：“你哪里痛？”
• Pinyin: Yīshēng wèn wǒ: “Nǐ nǎlǐ tòng?”
• English: The doctor asked me: “Where does it hurt?”
• Analysis: This is a crucial sentence to know for any medical situation. `哪里 (nǎlǐ)` means “where.”
• Example 3:
• 看到流浪猫在雨中，我感到很心痛。
• Pinyin: Kàn dào liúlàng māo zài yǔzhōng, wǒ gǎndào hěn xīntòng.
• English: Seeing the stray cat in the rain, I felt very pained/sad.
• Analysis: This shows 心痛 (xīntòng) used for empathy. The speaker isn't in physical pain, but feels emotional pain for the cat's suffering.
• Example 4:
• 分手后，她痛苦了很长时间。
• Pinyin: Fēnshǒu hòu, tā tòngkǔ le hěn cháng shíjiān.
• English: After the breakup, she was in agony for a long time.
• Analysis: Here, 痛苦 (tòngkǔ) is used to describe deep, prolonged emotional suffering, which is stronger and more enduring than a single moment of pain.
• Example 5:
• 跑完马拉松，我的腿又酸又痛。
• Pinyin: Pǎo wán mǎlāsōng, wǒ de tuǐ yòu suān yòu tòng.
• English: After finishing the marathon, my legs were both sore and painful.
• Analysis: This shows the difference between `酸 (suān)` (muscle soreness/lactic acid ache) and `痛 (tòng)` (a sharper pain). They are often used together to describe post-exercise feelings.
• Example 6:
• 听到这个坏消息，他痛哭了起来。
• Pinyin: Tīng dào zhège huài xiāoxī, tā tòngkū le qǐlái.
• English: After hearing the bad news, he burst into bitter tears.
• Analysis: This demonstrates 痛 as an adverb, intensifying the verb `哭 (kū)` (to cry). It doesn't mean crying *from* pain, but crying *intensely*.
• Example 7:
• 我只是有点儿肚子痛，应该没什么大事。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐshì yǒudiǎnr dùzi tòng, yīnggāi méishénme dàshì.
• English: My stomach just hurts a little, it's probably not a big deal.
• Analysis: The phrase `有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr)` is used to downplay the severity of the pain.
• Example 8:
• 浪费了这么多钱，他心痛得不得了。
• Pinyin: Làngfèi le zhème duō qián, tā xīntòng dé bùdéliǎo.
• English: Having wasted so much money, he was extremely regretful (pained at heart).
• Analysis: Another use of 心痛, this time for regret over a loss (in this case, money). `不得了 (bùdéliǎo)` is a common way to express “extremely.”
• Example 9:
• 夏天喝一杯冰啤酒，真是痛快！
• Pinyin: Xiàtiān hē yībēi bīng píjiǔ, zhēnshi tòngkuài!
• English: Drinking a glass of ice-cold beer in the summer is so satisfying!
• Analysis: This shows the positive, extended meaning of 痛. 痛快 (tòngkuài) here means satisfying, invigorating, or doing something to one's heart's content.
• Example 10:
• 他的话像刀子一样，让我觉得很痛。
• Pinyin: Tā de huà xiàng dāozi yīyàng, ràng wǒ juédé hěn tòng.
• English: His words were like a knife, they made me feel very hurt.
• Analysis: A powerful metaphor comparing hurtful words to physical pain, showing how 痛 can bridge the two worlds.

• 痛 (tòng) vs. 疼 (téng): This is the most common point of confusion.
• Interchangeable for Physical Pain: In colloquial Chinese, especially when describing physical pain, they are often interchangeable. `头痛 (tóutòng)` and `头疼 (tóuténg)` both mean “headache.” `疼 (téng)` is often considered slightly more spoken and common in Northern China.
• Emotional/Abstract Pain: Only use 痛 (tòng). You must say 心痛 (xīntòng) or 痛苦 (tòngkǔ). Saying `心疼 (xīnténg)` is incorrect for “heartache.” (*Note: 心疼 (xīnténg) does exist, but it means “to love dearly/to feel pity for,” not to feel personal emotional pain.*)
• Summary: When in doubt for physical pain, either is fine. For emotional pain or in formal/written contexts, 痛 (tòng) is the safer and often correct choice.
• Don't Say “我很痛 (Wǒ hěn tòng)”: In English, you can say “I'm in pain.” In Chinese, this is unnatural. You must specify *what* hurts.
• Incorrect: 我很痛。 (Wǒ hěn tòng.)
• Correct: 我头痛。(Wǒ tóu tòng.) - My head hurts.
• Correct: 我身上痛。(Wǒ shēnshang tòng.) - My body hurts.
• Pain vs. Spicy: A common beginner error is to mix up the sensation of pain with the sensation of spicy heat.
• Pain: 痛 (tòng) or 疼 (téng)
• Spicy: 辣 (là). A spicy dish is `很辣 (hěn là)`, not `很痛 (hěn tòng)`.

• 疼 (téng) - A very close synonym for physical pain, often more colloquial than 痛.
• 痛苦 (tòngkǔ) - Suffering, misery, agony. Refers to a deeper, more prolonged state of pain, both physical and mental.
• 心痛 (xīntòng) - Heartache. The specific word for emotional pain, sorrow, or empathetic suffering.
• 疼痛 (téngtòng) - A formal or medical term for “pain” or “ache.” You might see this on a medical form.
• 悲痛 (bēitòng) - Grief, sorrow. A more literary and formal word for the deep pain associated with loss.
• 头痛 (tóutòng) - Headache. Also used figuratively to mean a “hassle” or a “headache” of a problem.
• 痛快 (tòngkuài) - A positive term meaning satisfying, gratifiying, or doing something to one's heart's content.
• 酸 (suān) - The specific word for muscle soreness or ache after exercise. It also means “sour.”
• 辣 (là) - Spicy, hot. A different type of “painful” sensation related to food.