====== tōngxiāo: 通宵 - All Night, To Pull an All-Nighter ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** 通宵, tōngxiāo, pull an all-nighter in Chinese, stay up all night Chinese, all-nighter, Chinese study culture, overnight work, Chinese slang for studying, 熬夜, aoye, kaoyeche, 开夜车.
  * **Summary:** Learn how to say "pull an all-nighter" in Chinese with the word **通宵 (tōngxiāo)**. This guide explains the meaning of 通宵, its cultural significance in China's high-pressure study and work environments, and how it differs from simply staying up late (熬夜, áoyè). With 10+ example sentences, you'll see how to use 通宵 when talking about studying for an exam, working overtime, or even gaming through the night.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** tōngxiāo
  * **Part of Speech:** Verb / Adverb
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 5
  * **Concise Definition:** To do something through the entire night until dawn; to pull an all-nighter.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** describes the act of staying awake and active for a full night, from dusk until morning. It's an "all-or-nothing" word. If you stayed up until 3 AM, you stayed up late (熬夜, áoyè), but if you saw the sunrise before you slept, you pulled a **通宵 (tōngxiāo)**. It often implies a specific, demanding purpose like studying, meeting a deadline, or even marathon gaming sessions, and carries a strong sense of exhaustion.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **通 (tōng):** This character's core meaning is "to pass through," "to go through," or "to connect." Think of it as traversing from one end to the other.
  * **宵 (xiāo):** This character means "night" or "nighttime." It's a slightly more formal or literary character for night than the common 晚 (wǎn).
When combined, **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** literally means "to pass through the night." This creates a very clear and logical image of enduring the entire duration of the night without sleep.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
In Chinese culture, the ability to **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** is often seen as a testament to one's diligence, perseverance, and willingness to **吃苦 (chī kǔ)**, or "eat bitterness" (endure hardship). This is particularly true in two major areas:
1.  **Academics:** The pressure surrounding major exams, especially the infamous **高考 (gāokǎo)** (college entrance exam), makes pulling all-nighters a rite of passage for millions of students. A **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** for studying is not just about cramming; it's a symbol of dedication and a shared struggle among classmates.
2.  **Work Culture:** In hyper-competitive industries, especially tech, the "996 culture" (working 9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week) can lead to employees needing to **通宵加班 (tōngxiāo jiābān)**, or work overtime all night, to meet project deadlines.
Compared to the Western concept of "pulling an all-nighter," the act is physically the same, but the cultural undertone in China often carries more weight. While a student in the US might pull an all-nighter due to procrastination, in China it's often seen as a necessary sacrifice in a system that heavily rewards sheer effort and endurance. It speaks to a collective value of hard work as a key to success.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**通宵 (tōngxiāo)** is a common, informal word used in various modern contexts.
  *   **As a Verb:** It can be a standalone verb or take an object (the activity).
    *   `我们为了赶项目，昨晚通宵了。` (We pulled an all-nighter last night to rush the project.)
  *   **As an Adverb:** It can modify another verb to mean "(do something) all night long."
    *   `他通宵工作，终于写完了报告。` (He worked all night and finally finished the report.)
Its connotation depends on the context:
  *   **Negative/Stressful:** Most often associated with the stress of work or school. Implies tiredness and pressure.
  *   **Neutral/Positive:** Can be used for fun activities like gaming or karaoke with friends, where the exhaustion is a byproduct of having a good time.
===== Example Sentences =====
  *   **Example 1:**
    *   为了明天的考试，我打算**通宵**复习。
    *   Pīnyīn: Wèile míngtiān de kǎoshì, wǒ dǎsuàn **tōngxiāo** fùxí.
    *   English: For tomorrow's exam, I plan to pull an all-nighter to study.
    *   Analysis: A classic example showing the use of **通宵** in an academic context. `复习 (fùxí)` means "to review."
  *   **Example 2:**
    *   他们**通宵**打游戏，现在肯定困死了。
    *   Pīnyīn: Tāmen **tōngxiāo** dǎ yóuxì, xiànzài kěndìng kùn sǐ le.
    *   English: They played video games all night, they must be dead tired now.
    *   Analysis: This shows **通宵** used for a leisure activity. `困死了 (kùn sǐ le)` is a common slang phrase meaning "extremely sleepy."
  *   **Example 3:**
    *   这个项目很紧急，我们可能需要**通宵**加班。
    *   Pīnyīn: Zhège xiàngmù hěn jǐnjí, wǒmen kěnéng xūyào **tōngxiāo** jiābān.
    *   English: This project is very urgent, we might need to work overtime all night.
    *   Analysis: Demonstrates the word in a professional, high-pressure work context. `加班 (jiābān)` means "to work overtime."
  *   **Example 4:**
    *   我年轻的时候，经常和朋友去**通宵**唱卡拉OK。
    *   Pīnyīn: Wǒ niánqīng de shíhou, jīngcháng hé péngyǒu qù **tōngxiāo** chàng kǎlā OK.
    *   English: When I was young, I often went to sing karaoke all night with friends.
    *   Analysis: Here, **通宵** is part of a fond memory, giving it a positive, nostalgic feel.
  *   **Example 5:**
    *   昨晚孩子发高烧，我照顾了他一个**通宵**。
    *   Pīnyīn: Zuówǎn háizi fā gāoshāo, wǒ zhàogùle tā yí ge **tōngxiāo**.
    *   English: Last night my child had a high fever, so I took care of him for the entire night.
    *   Analysis: **通宵** is used here as a noun phrase (`一个通宵` - "one whole night"). It emphasizes the duration of the difficult event.
  *   **Example 6:**
    *   你看起来很累，是不是**通宵**了？
    *   Pīnyīn: Nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn lèi, shì bu shì **tōngxiāo** le?
    *   English: You look really tired, did you pull an all-nighter?
    *   Analysis: A common question to ask someone who looks exhausted. Here, **通宵** is used as a verb in a question.
  *   **Example 7:**
    *   连续**通宵**对身体的伤害很大。
    *   Pīnyīn: Liánxù **tōngxiāo** duì shēntǐ de shānghài hěn dà.
    *   English: Pulling consecutive all-nighters is very harmful to your health.
    *   Analysis: This sentence treats **通宵** as a noun (the act of pulling an all-nighter) and gives a health warning.
  *   **Example 8:**
    *   我们坐**通宵**火车去北京，明天早上就到了。
    *   Pīnyīn: Wǒmen zuò **tōngxiāo** huǒchē qù Běijīng, míngtiān zǎoshang jiù dào le.
    *   English: We are taking an overnight train to Beijing; we'll arrive tomorrow morning.
    *   Analysis: **通宵** can act as an adjective here, describing the train as an "all-night" or "overnight" train.
  *   **Example 9:**
    *   他为了一个设计方案，在办公室**通宵**了两个晚上。
    *   Pīnyīn: Tā wèile yí ge shèjì fāng'àn, zài bàngōngshì **tōngxiāo** le liǎng ge wǎnshang.
    *   English: For a design proposal, he pulled two all-nighters in the office.
    *   Analysis: Shows how to quantify the action. Notice you say `通宵了两个晚上` (pulled an all-nighter for two nights) rather than just `两个通宵`.
  *   **Example 10:**
    *   **通宵**之后，我只想喝一杯浓咖啡然后睡一天。
    *   Pīnyīn: **Tōngxiāo** zhīhòu, wǒ zhǐ xiǎng hē yì bēi nóng kāfēi ránhòu shuì yì tiān.
    *   English: After pulling an all-nighter, I just want to drink a strong coffee and then sleep for a whole day.
    *   Analysis: `通宵之后 (tōngxiāo zhīhòu)` means "after an all-nighter," clearly showing the consequence and feeling.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** and **熬夜 (áoyè)**.
  *   **通宵 (tōngxiāo): The Whole Night.** This means you stayed up until sunrise. It's about completing the full duration of the night. If you sleep at all before morning, you did not **通宵**.
  *   **熬夜 (áoyè): Staying Up Late.** This is a more general term. It simply means "to stay up late" or "to burn the midnight oil." Going to bed at 1 AM, 3 AM, or 4 AM are all examples of **熬夜**.
**Rule of thumb:** Every **通宵 (tōngxiāo)** is a form of **熬夜 (áoyè)**, but not every **熬夜 (áoyè)** is a **通宵 (tōngxiāo)**.
**Common Mistake Example:**
  *   **Incorrect:** 我昨晚**通宵**到三点才睡觉。(Wǒ zuówǎn **tōngxiāo** dào sān diǎn cái shuìjiào.)
  *   **Why it's wrong:** This sentence is a contradiction. **通宵** means "all night," so you cannot specify a time like "until 3 AM." You either made it through the whole night or you didn't.
  *   **Correct:** 我昨晚**熬夜**到三点才睡觉。(Wǒ zuówǎn **áoyè** dào sān diǎn cái shuìjiào.)
    *   Translation: I stayed up late until 3 AM last night before sleeping.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  *   [[熬夜]] (áoyè) - The most closely related term. It means "to stay up late," but not necessarily the entire night. It is more general than **通宵**.
  *   [[开夜车]] (kāi yèchē) - A vivid idiom literally meaning "to drive a night train." It's a synonym for working or studying late into the night, very similar in meaning to **通宵**.
  *   [[加班]] (jiābān) - "To work overtime." This is a common reason why someone might need to **通宵**.
  *   [[高考]] (gāokǎo) - The national college entrance exam. It is the single biggest cultural reason for students to **通宵** study.
  *   [[996]] - Refers to the "9am to 9pm, 6 days a week" work culture common in some Chinese tech companies, a social phenomenon that often leads to **通宵**.
  *   [[复习]] (fùxí) - "To review; to revise (for an exam)." The primary activity done during a study-related **通宵**.
  *   [[困]] (kùn) - "Sleepy." The inevitable feeling after a **通宵**.
  *   [[疲劳]] (píláo) - "Fatigued; tired." A more formal word for the exhaustion caused by a **通宵**.
  *   [[黑眼圈]] (hēi yǎnquān) - "Dark circles under the eyes." The visible, physical evidence of one or more **通宵** sessions.