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铺天盖地 (pū tiān gài dì) — overwhelming; widespread; covering the whole landscape (figurative)

Definition

An idiom meaning 'in overwhelming numbers, everywhere' — used for things (ads, news, rumors, dust) that flood or blanket a whole scene. Mostly figurative at HSK 7, not literal sky-and-earth.

idiom
overwhelmingwidespreadcovering the whole landscape (figurative)

Examples

  • 铺天盖地，。
    Guān yú nà jiàn shì de bào dào yì shí pū tiān gài dì, rén rén dōu zài tán lùn.
    The reports about that incident were enormous, spreading everywhere — everyone was talking about it.
  • 铺天盖地，。
    Shuāng shí yī de guǎng gào pū tiān gài dì, jī hū měi gè wǎng zhàn dōu néng kàn dào.
    The advertisements for Singles' Day were everywhere; you could see them on almost every website.
  • 铺天盖地，。
    Shā chén bào pū tiān gài dì ér lái, zhěng gè chéng shì dōu lǒng zhào zài huáng shā zhōng.
    The sandstorm came in a huge wall, covering the whole city in a haze of yellow dust.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

铺天spread over the sky
铺pùspread天tiānsky
动宾Verb + object
盖地cover the earth
盖gàicover地dìearth
动宾Verb + object

铺天盖地 pairs 铺天 (spread over the sky) and 盖地 (cover the earth) to mean overwhelming everywhere.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鋪; 铺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīngold; metal
Sound part声符shēngfú
甫
甫fǔ鋪pū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鋪 pairs 金 (gold; metal) with 甫 as a sound part; the simplified 铺 is a shorthand.

Open 铺 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé蓋gài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Open 盖 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →
Appears in
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