博览 (bó lǎn) — to read extensively, to be well-read

Definition

verb

to read extensivelyto be well-read

，。
Tā bó lǎn qún shū, zhī shi yuān bó.
He reads widely and has profound knowledge.
博览，。
Tōng guò bó lǎn gè zhǒng shū jí, tā xué dào le hěn duō.
By reading extensively all kinds of books, he learned a lot.
，博览。
Wèi le xiě hǎo lùn wén, tā bó lǎn le dà liàng xiāng guān wén xiàn.
To write a good paper, he extensively read a large amount of relevant literature.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

博bóextensive

博 means extensive and 览 means read, giving the sense of reading widely.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

十尃博

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

尃

尃fū博

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from combining 十 (ten) with 尃; 尃 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 覽; 览 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

見見jiànsee

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān覽lǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 覽 uses 見, meaning see, for the sense and 監 for the sound; the simplified 览 is a later shorthand.