布局

• Pinyin: bù jú
• Hanzi breakdown: 布 = 巾 + 父 (cloth — to spread out); 局 = 尸 + 口 (enclosure + mouth — bounded situation/game)

Meaning

Layout; arrangement; strategic deployment. The overall plan or spatial organisation of elements in a system, space, or strategy.

Used in architecture, urban planning, chess, business strategy, and military contexts. Implies deliberate, large-scale thinking about how components are arranged for maximum effect. In business, 布局 often refers to market positioning or expansion planning.

Examples

1. 这座城市的道路布局经过精心规划，有效缓解了交通拥堵问题。 The city’s road layout was carefully planned, effectively easing traffic congestion.
2. 该公司正在全球范围内积极布局，以应对未来十年的市场竞争。 The company is actively positioning itself globally to meet market competition over the next decade.
3. 棋局进入中盘，双方的布局意图逐渐清晰地呈现出来。 As the game reaches the middlegame, both sides’ strategic intentions become increasingly clear.

Usage Guide

Context: business, strategy, architecture, planning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 董事会已批准了公司未来五年的战略布局方案，重点将聚焦于东南亚市场的深度开拓。(The board has approved the company's five-year strategic layout plan, with a focus on deep development of Southeast Asian markets.)
• 设计师重新调整了展厅的空间布局，使参观流线更加合理流畅。(The designer readjusted the spatial layout of the exhibition hall, making the visitor flow more rational and smooth.)

Don't Say

• 随便布局一下 — 布局 implies careful, deliberate planning; pairing it with 随便 undermines the meaning; use 随意摆放 for casual arrangement

Origin & History

布 (spread/arrange/deploy) + 局 (situation/game/structure)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal