tōngxiāo: 通宵 - All Night, To Pull an All-Nighter

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

• 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.