透 means “transparent, pass through”

とう · tou

Also: permeate, filter, penetrate

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

すく, すかす, すける, とうる, とうす

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

トウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

Walking (辶) with 秀, a rice plant (禾) standing tall: picture light walking straight through a thin stalk. 透 is passing through: 透明 is transparent, 透き通る is clear enough to see through, and 見透かす is seeing right through someone.

Used in 透明 (toumei, transparent), 透き通る (sukitooru, to be see-through), and 見透かす (misukasu, to see through)

More from Light & Shadow

• 輝 shine
• 雰 atmosphere
• 暖 warm
• 陰 shade
• 暁 daybreak
• 闇 darkness
• 宵 evening
• 旦 dawn
• 昭 bright
• 宙 midair

Learn 透 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.