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liánhéSide by side

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
Idioms & Set Phrases

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