痛

1. Physical pain: Acute or sharp sensations (e.g., aching, stinging).

2. Emotional anguish: Visceral grief, heartbreak, or deep regret.

3. Intensifier: Used to denote that an action is performed "thoroughly," "completely," or "to the utmost."

Can function adverbially as a qualitative modifier (e.g., 痛哭 "weeping unrestrainedly"; 痛恨 "absolute loathing").

[DISTINITIONS]

When distinguishing between terms for suffering:

• 痛 (tòng) vs. 苦 (kǔ): 痛 suggests acute, sharp, or piercing intensity; 苦 suggests chronic, enduring hardship or misery.
• 痛 (tòng) vs. 悲 (bēi): 痛 emphasizes the active, visceral experience of sorrow; 悲 describes the general state or mood of melancholy/grief.

Fanqie reading: 他貢. Tang-period reading: *tùng.

When encountering this glyph, evaluate its role based on three functional axes: somatic (physical sensation), affective (emotional wound), or qualitative (an adverbial meaning "utterly").