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普遍 (pǔ biàn) — common, widespread, universal

Definition

Describes something that exists or happens everywhere or in most cases (widespread). Compared to 普通 ('ordinary/average'), 普遍 focuses on how widely something is found, not on how typical a thing is.

adjective
commonwidespreaduniversal

Examples

  • 普遍。
    Zhè zhǒng kàn fǎ hěn pǔ biàn.
    This view is very common.
  • 普遍。
    Diàn nǎo zài xiàn zài de shēng huó zhōng pǔ biàn shǐ yòng.
    Computers are widely used in modern life.
  • 普遍。
    Zhè ge wèn tí zài quán shì jiè dōu hěn pǔ biàn.
    This problem is very common all over the world.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

普pǔgeneral
遍biàneverywhere

‘普’ means general and ‘遍’ means everywhere, together describing something widespread.

Characters in this word

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

  • 並並bìngside by side
  • 日日rìsun

普 is made of 日 (sun) and 並 (side by side).

Open 普 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
扁
扁biǎn遍biàn
Same sound today

遍 combines 辶, a mark for walking or movement, with 扁, which gives the sound biǎn.

Open 遍 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Abstract Concepts

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