遍野 (biàn yě) — all over the countryside; throughout the fields

Definition

Literary 'everywhere across the fields/wild land' — used in set phrases like 遍野 or 漫山遍野 to paint a sweeping scene, not in everyday speech.

noun
all over the countrysidethroughout the fields

Examples

  • ，遍野。
    Chūn tiān, tián yě lǐ biàn yě dōu shì jīn huáng sè de yóu cài huā.
    In spring, the fields are all covered with golden rapeseed flowers.
  • ，遍野。
    Qiū tiān, shān jiān biàn yě piāo mǎn le guǒ xiāng.
    In autumn, the mountains are filled with the fragrance of fruit.
  • ，遍野。
    Dà xuě guò hòu, dà dì biàn yě bái máng máng yí piàn.
    After the heavy snow, the land is a vast expanse of white everywhere.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

遍biànspread all over
野yěfields

遍 means spread all over and 野 means fields, so it describes something spread all over the countryside.

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.

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 →

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
田田tiánfield
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ野yě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

野 combines 田 (field) above 土 (earth) to show open country, with 予 giving the sound.

Open 野 →

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