Meaning of 普及
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to spread extensively
- to generalize
- widespread
- popular
- universal
- ubiquitous
- pervasive
How to use 普及
普及 works as a verb meaning to spread something widely or make it common, and as an adjective meaning widespread. It often goes with education, technology, or knowledge. Example: 智能手机已经很普及了。(Zhìnéng shǒujī yǐjīng hěn pǔjí le.) Smartphones are already very widespread.
普 (pǔ) means general or for everyone, as in 普通 (pǔtōng), and 及 (jí) means to reach, as in 来不及 (láibují). Something 普及 has reached everyone.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 普及 and 普遍 (pǔbiàn). 普遍 describes something that is generally true or common, as in 普遍现象 (a common phenomenon). 普及 stresses that something has been spread to many people, so you say 普及教育 (spread education), not 普遍教育.
普及 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
普 pǔ · widespread · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
及 jí · and · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 普及.
| 普通 | pǔtōng | common; ordinary |
| 普通话 | pǔtōnghuà | Putonghua; standard Mandarin |
| 及时 | jíshí | timely; at the right time; promptly; without delay |
| 普遍 | pǔbiàn | universal; general |
| 以及 | yǐjí | and; as well as |
| 来不及 | láibují | there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late |
| 来得及 | láidejí | to have enough time; can do it in time; can still make it |
| 及格 | jígé | to pass an exam or a test; to meet a minimum standard |
| 涉及 | shèjí | to involve; to relate to; to concern; to touch upon |
| 普通人 | pǔtōng rén | ordinary person; private citizen |
| 迫不及待 | pòbùjídài | (idiom) unable to hold oneself back; eager to do sth without delay |
| 及其 | jí qí | (conjunction linking two nouns) and its ...; and their ...; and his ...; and her ... |
Questions about 普及
What does 普及 mean?
普及 (pǔjí) means "to spread extensively; to generalize" and is used as a verb and adjective.
How do you write 普及?
普及 is made of 2 characters: 普 (12 strokes), 及 (3 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 普及 an HSK word?
Yes. 普及 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 普及 take an object?
Yes. As a verb it can take an object directly, as in 普及法律知识 (pǔjí fǎlǜ zhīshi), to spread legal knowledge. It also appears in the noun phrase 科学普及 (kēxué pǔjí), science popularization, often shortened to 科普 (kēpǔ).
Does 普及 mean popular in the sense of well liked?
No. 普及 means widely spread or widely used, not loved by people. For a popular singer or song you would say 受欢迎 (shòu huānyíng) or 流行 (liúxíng) instead.