About
The character 泛 translates to floating, overflowing, or being general and non-specific. Its structure combines the semantic radical 氵 (water) on the left with the phonetic component 乏 on the right, which provides the pronunciation "fan" though its independent meaning of "to lack" does not contribute to the character's sense. The water radical grounds the character in physical actions like objects drifting on water or floodwaters swelling and spreading. From this concrete image of widespread dispersal, the meaning broadened to describe abstract concepts that are extensive, superficial, or lacking focused specificity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
广泛阅读对学习有好处。
这条河在雨季容易泛滥。
这个词现在常泛指所有类似设备。
周末我们喜欢去湖上泛舟。
听到表扬，她的脸颊微微泛红。
他的演讲只是泛论，缺乏具体内容。
我最近胃不太好，经常泛酸。
清晨的湖面泛着金色的波光。