铺开 (pū kāi) — to spread out, unfold, lay flat (something folded or rolled up)

Definition

铺开 (pūkai) is a separable verb meaning to spread or unfold something that was folded, rolled, or stacked — like a map, cloth, or scroll — flat on a surface. Often used with 把 to show what's being laid out.

verb
to spread outunfoldlay flat (something folded or rolled up)

Examples

  • 铺开。
    Qǐng bǎ bào zhǐ pū kāi zài zhuō miàn shàng.
    Please spread the newspaper out on the desktop.
  • ，？
    Zhè kuài bù tài dà le, pù dé kāi ma?
    This cloth is too big — can it be spread out?
  • 铺开。
    Tā màn màn dì bǎ huà juàn pū kāi zài dì bǎn shàng.
    He slowly unrolled the scroll and spread it out on the floor.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

铺pùspread
开kāiopen/out

铺 'spread' and 开 'open/out' together mean spread out.

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 鋪; 铺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīngold; metal
Sound part声符shēngfú
甫
甫fǔ鋪pū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鋪 pairs 金 (gold; metal) with 甫 as a sound part; the simplified 铺 is a shorthand.

Open 铺 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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