覆盖

• Pinyin: fù gài
• Hanzi breakdown: 覆 = 襾 + 復 (overturn, cover over); 盖 = 艹 + 盍 (cover, lid)

Meaning

To cover; to blanket; to overlay. Describes physically covering a surface or, by extension, spanning or encompassing a wide area or scope.

Used both literally — snow covering the ground, a tarpaulin covering equipment — and figuratively, as in a policy covering multiple provinces or a mobile network covering all users. Very common in news, scientific, technology, and policy language. Key collocations: 覆盖率 (coverage rate), 覆盖面 (coverage scope), 信号覆盖 (signal coverage), 全面覆盖 (comprehensive coverage).

Examples

1. 这场大雪在一夜之间将整座城市覆盖在厚厚的白色积雪之下，令街道安静得出奇。 Overnight, the heavy snow blanketed the entire city under a thick layer of white, and the streets became unusually quiet.
2. 该运营商宣布将在未来三年内把5G网络覆盖范围扩展至全国所有县级行政区。 The carrier announced it will expand 5G coverage over the next three years to every county-level administrative area nationwide.
3. 新出台的医疗保障政策覆盖了更多慢性病种，惠及数以千万计的基层患者群体。 The newly introduced medical coverage policy includes more chronic conditions, benefiting tens of millions of patients in grassroots communities.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, technology, policy, science

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 卫星遥感数据显示，该地区的森林覆盖率在过去二十年间提升了近十五个百分点。(Satellite remote sensing data shows that the forest coverage rate in this region has increased by nearly fifteen percentage points over the past two decades.)
• 这项补贴政策覆盖了所有年收入低于六万元的城乡居民，切实减轻了低收入群体的生活负担。(This subsidy policy covers all urban and rural residents with an annual income below 60,000 yuan, effectively reducing the financial burden on low-income groups.)

Don't Say

• 覆盖了一首歌 — 覆盖 means to physically or figuratively cover/span; use 翻唱 for covering or performing someone else's song

Origin & History

覆 (overturn/cover over) + 盖 (lid/cover)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal