Common Meanings
1
tóng童
Refers to children or young people, often used in compounds like 'children's' or 'childhood'.
小女孩喜欢听睡前童话故事。
The little girl likes to listen to bedtime fairy tales.
An underage servant or attendant in ancient times, often a pageboy for a scholar.
那个书生带着他的小书童去赶集。
That scholar took his young pageboy to the market.
Unmarried; virgin, referring to a virgin boy, virgin girl, or virginity.
在传统观念里，婚姻前保持童贞是很重要的。
In traditional views, maintaining virginity before marriage is very important.
Refers to something that is not yet fully grown or developed, typically used for young animals, similar to '童牛' (a young cow without horns).
小农场里有几只活泼的童鸡在啄食。
There are several lively chicks pecking for food on the small farm.
When pronounced as tóng, "童" can mean bald or bare. It's often used in phrases like "童山" (tóng shān), referring to a mountain without trees, or "头童" (tóu tóng), describing a bald head.
过度采伐导致森林消失，整座山成了童山。
Excessive logging led to the disappearance of the forest, turning the entire mountain into a bald mountain.
When pronounced tóng, 童 can, especially in classical or medical contexts (e.g., as part of the compound "童仁"), refer to the pupil of the eye, similar to 瞳孔 (tóngkǒng).
她的眼眸明亮，童仁深邃如夜空。
Her eyes were bright, her pupils as deep as the night sky.