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无边无际 (wú biān-wú jì) — boundless; limitless; endless (idiom for vast spaces)

Definition

A vivid idiom for vast, boundless spaces (sky, sea, forest). Pairs space/scale with 浩瀚 and 茫茫, not time like 漫长, and is more concrete-visual than the abstract 无穷.

phrase
boundlesslimitlessendless (idiom for vast spaces)

Examples

  • 无边无际，。
    Tiān kōng wú biān-wú jì, xīng xing fēi cháng duō.
    The sky is boundless, and there are many stars.
  • 无边无际，。
    Zài wú biān-wú jì de sēn lín zhōng, wǒ men zhǎo bú dào chū lù.
    In the boundless forest, we can't find a way out.
  • 无边无际，。
    Yǔ zhòu wú biān-wú jì, rén lèi duì tā de liǎo jiě hái hěn yǒu xiàn.
    The universe is boundless, and human understanding of it is still very limited.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

无边no edge
无wúhave no边biānedge
动宾Verb + object
无际no boundary
无wúhave no际jìboundary
动宾Verb + object

无边 says no edge, and 无际 says no boundary, together giving boundlessness.

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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì際⁰jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Open 际 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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