包揽 (bāo lǎn) — to take on everything; to monopolize (a task, prize, etc.)

Definition

A verb meaning to take on or sweep up everything in one go, especially winning all prizes or handling all the work alone. Often implies dominance or total coverage, not just 'doing a lot'.

verb
to take on everythingto monopolize (a task, prize, etc.)

Examples

  • 包揽。
    Tā yí gè rén bāo lǎn le suǒ yǒu de gōng zuò.
    He alone took on all the work.
  • 包揽。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài tā men duì bāo lǎn le qián sān míng.
    Their team swept the top three places in this competition.
  • 包揽，。
    Tā bāo lǎn le quán bù jiā wù, ràng zhàng fu zhuān xīn gōng zuò.
    She took on all the housework so her husband could focus on work.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

包bāowrap up
揽lǎntake in

包 (wrap up) and 揽 (take in) combine to mean taking everything on.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →

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 攬; 揽 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
覽
覽lǎn攬lǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 攬 pairs 扌 (hand) with the sound part 覽, giving the sense of grasping with the hand; the simplified 揽 is a shorthand.

Open 揽 →

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