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无处不在 (wú chù bú zài) — ubiquitous, to be everywhere

Definition

A formal written idiom meaning 'present everywhere, ubiquitous' — describes something (a phenomenon, influence, technology) found in every place or context. Stronger and more literary than everyday phrasings like 到处都有.

idiom
ubiquitousto be everywhere

Examples

  • ，无处不在。
    Zài xiàn dài shè huì, hù lián wǎng wú chù bú zài.
    In modern society, the internet is everywhere.
  • 无处不在。
    Zhè zhǒng wén huà xiàn xiàng zài quán shì jiè wú chù bú zài.
    This cultural phenomenon is ubiquitous worldwide.
  • 无处不在。
    Tā de yǐng xiǎng lì zài gōng sī lǐ wú chù bú zài.
    His influence is everywhere in the company.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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