普遍

• Pinyin: pǔ biàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 普 = 并 (together) + 日 (sun), the sun shining on all equally; 遍 = 辶 (walk) + 扁 (flat/everywhere), meaning to go everywhere

Meaning

Widespread; universal; common; general. Describes something that exists or occurs broadly across a group or area.

Used to describe phenomena, opinions, or conditions shared by many people or found across a wide range. Often appears in news, academic, and social commentary contexts. Can modify nouns (普遍现象 = common phenomenon) or be used as an adverb (普遍认为 = generally believed). More formal than 常见.

Examples

1. 用手机上网在中国非常普遍。 Using mobile phones to go online is very common in China.
2. 大家普遍认为运动对健康有好处。 People generally believe that exercise is good for health.
3. 这个问题在很多城市都很普遍。 This problem is very widespread in many cities.

Usage Guide

Context: news, society, academic

Tone: objective

Do Say

• 网上购物已经变得越来越普遍了。(Online shopping has become more and more widespread.)
• 这是一个普遍存在的问题。(This is a widely existing problem.)

Don't Say

• 今天的天气很普遍。(Don't use 普遍 to describe individual weather — 普遍 describes trends or conditions across populations or areas. Say 今天的天气很一般.)

Origin & History

普 means universal or widespread (as in 普天之下 = under all of heaven); 遍 means everywhere or all over. Together they emphasise complete, broad coverage.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal