泛

氾/汎
fàn
乏 + 氵

Definitions

fàn (adjective) general; non-specific; extensive
fàn (verb) to flood; to float about
fàn (verb) to be suffused with (a color, emotion)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 乏 represents the sound. Simplified form of 氾.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 乏

About

泛 is a simplified form of 氾, a phono-semantic compound combining the water radical 氵 with the phonetic 乏 (fá). Its core meanings, floating, overflowing, and general or non-specific, all derive from the image of water. The radical 氵 grounds the character in physical water: objects drifting on a surface and floodwaters swelling outward. This spreading behavior naturally extended to abstract broadness, superficiality, or a lack of specific focus.

Example Sentences Hide

广泛阅读对学习有好处。

Guǎngfàn yuèdú duì xuéxí yǒu hǎochù.

Reading extensively is beneficial for learning.

这条河在雨季容易泛滥。

Zhè tiáo hé zài yǔjì róngyì fànlàn.

This river tends to flood during the rainy season.

这个词现在常泛指所有类似设备。

Zhège cí xiànzài cháng fànzhǐ suǒyǒu lèisì shèbèi.

This word now often refers to all similar equipment in general.

周末我们喜欢去湖上泛舟。

Zhōumò wǒmen xǐhuān qù hú shàng fàn zhōu.

On weekends, we like to go boating on the lake.

听到表扬，她的脸颊微微泛红。

Tīng dào biǎoyáng, tā de liǎnjiá wēiwēi fàn hóng.

Hearing the praise, her cheeks flushed slightly.

他的演讲只是泛论，缺乏具体内容。

Tā de yǎnjiǎng zhǐshì fànlùn, quēfá jùtǐ nèiróng.

His speech was just a general discussion, lacking specific content.

我最近胃不太好，经常泛酸。

Wǒ zuìjìn wèi bù tài hǎo, jīngcháng fàn suān.

My stomach hasn't been well lately, and I often have acid reflux.

清晨的湖面泛着金色的波光。

Qīngchén de húmiàn fànzhe jīnsè de bōguāng.

The surface of the lake in the early morning gleamed with golden ripples.

Related Characters

Component: 乏

眨 贬 砭 窆 覂 貶 鴔

Component: 氵

法 没 海 活 治 清 济 流 深 满 消 注 派 河

Example Words

广泛 泛滥 泛指 泛泛之交 泛滥成灾 泛白 泛红 泛舟 泛起 泛酸 宽泛 泛函 泛泛而谈 泛美 泛读 泛音 活泛 空泛 灵泛