满天飞 (mǎn tiān fēi) — to be everywhere (of rumors, news, products, people, etc.); to spread widely and rapidly

Definition

Vivid image phrase meaning rumors, news, or products are 'flying all over the sky' — everywhere at once. Built from 满 ('full of') + 天 ('sky') + 飞 ('fly'), it emphasizes rapid, widespread spread rather than mere abundance.

verb
to be everywhere (of rumors, news, products, people, etc.)to spread widely and rapidly

Examples

  • 满天飞，。
    Zuì jìn gè zhǒng yáo yán mǎn tiān fēi, bié qīng xìn.
    Lately all kinds of rumors are flying around — don't believe them easily.
  • 满天飞，。
    Zhè zhǒng xīn kuǎn shǒu jī zài shì chǎng shàng mǎn tiān fēi, xiāo liàng jīng rén.
    This new model phone is everywhere on the market, with amazing sales.
  • 满天飞，。
    Wǎng shàng guān yú tā de xiāo xi mǎn tiān fēi, zhēn jiǎ nán biàn.
    News about him is spreading all over the internet — hard to tell what's true.

Origin

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.

满天all over the sky
满mǎnfull天tiānsky
偏正Modifier + head
飞fēifly

“满” (full) and “天” (sky) give “all over the sky,” while “飞” (fly) paints things spreading everywhere.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
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 a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

Open 飞 →

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