Meaning
凡 refers to things that are ordinary, mundane, or common in the mortal world. It often appears in literary or formal contexts to mean 'all' or 'every' when describing things without exception. As a prefix, it emphasizes the commonplace nature of something.
Usage
凡 is frequently used in written Chinese and formal speech. It commonly appears in fixed expressions like 凡是 (fán shì, 'every', 'all') to emphasize universality. When used alone as an adjective, it often contrasts the mundane world with the sacred or extraordinary, as in 凡人 (ordinary person) versus 神仙 (deity).
Examples
- 01凡是来过这里的人都说很美。.Everyone who has been here says it's beautiful.
- 02他虽然是凡人，却做出了不凡的成就。, .Although he's an ordinary person, he has achieved extraordinary accomplishments.
Common collocations
- 凡是every, all, any
- 平凡ordinary, common
- 凡人ordinary person, mortal
- 不凡out of the ordinary, remarkable
Antonyms
Origin
The character 凡 originally depicted a tray or plate used for ordinary purposes, symbolizing commonplace items. Over time, it evolved to represent the concept of 'ordinary' and 'all without exception'.