遍布 (biàn bù) — to be found everywhere; to cover (an area) wide… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to be found everywhere / spread across an area,' used in writing about networks, species, products, etc. 遍地 is more colloquial and often used as an adverb meaning 'everywhere,' while 遍布 emphasizes wide coverage of a region.

verb

to be found everywhereto cover (an area) widely

Examples

遍布。
Zhè jiā gōng sī de chǎn pǐn biàn bù quán qiú gè dì.
This company's products are found all over the world.
遍布，。
Wǎng luò biàn bù, xìn xī chuán bō fēi cháng kuài.
The internet is everywhere, so information spreads very fast.
遍布。
Zhè zhǒng zhí wù zài nán fāng biàn bù fēn bù.
This plant is widely distributed in the south.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

遍biànall over

布bùspread

遍 shows that 布 spreads over all areas, so it means to be found throughout.

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.

辶扁遍

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.

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

巾巾jīnkerchief

Sound part声符shēngfú

父

父fù布bù

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6

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