Meaning of 普通
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- common
- ordinary
- general
- average
How to use 普通
普通 describes people, things, or situations that are nothing special, and it often appears before a noun with or without 的. It is also part of 普通话 (pǔtōnghuà), standard Mandarin. Example: 他只是一个普通人。(Tā zhǐshì yí gè pǔtōng rén.) He is just an ordinary person.
普 (pǔ) means widespread or universal, and 通 (tōng) means to go through or connect. Something that is spread everywhere and passes through all places is common, so 普通 means ordinary.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 普 (pǔ) with 晋 (jìn) or 谱 (pǔ, musical score), which look similar. Also keep the tones straight: 普 is third tone and 通 is first tone, so say pǔtōng, not pūtóng.
普通 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
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通 tōng · to go through · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 普通.
| 通过 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) |
| 通知 | tōngzhī | to notify; to inform |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | to be connected; traffic |
| 普通话 | pǔtōnghuà | Putonghua; standard Mandarin |
| 通常 | tōngcháng | regular; usual; normal; usually; normally |
| 通信 | tōngxìn | to correspond (by letter, email etc); to send or receive messages through telecommunicatio |
| 普遍 | pǔbiàn | universal; general |
| 普及 | pǔjí | to spread extensively; to generalize |
| 通知书 | tōngzhīshū | written notice |
| 沟通 | gōutōng | to join; to connect; to link up; to communicate |
| 流通 | liútōng | to circulate; to distribute; circulation; distribution |
| 通用 | tōngyòng | to use anywhere, anytime (card, ticket etc); to be used by everyone (language, textbook et |
Questions about 普通
What does 普通 mean?
普通 (pǔtōng) means "common; ordinary" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 普通?
普通 is made of 2 characters: 普 (12 strokes), 通 (10 strokes). That is 22 strokes in total.
Is 普通 an HSK word?
Yes. 普通 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 普通 and 一般?
Both can mean ordinary, but 一般 (yìbān) often suggests average or so-so quality, as in 味道一般 (the taste is just okay). 普通 focuses more on being common and not special, and it is the word used in fixed terms like 普通话.
Can 普通 be used to say something is mediocre or bad?
It is mostly neutral, meaning not special. In context it can sound slightly modest or underwhelming, for example 长得很普通 (looks quite plain), but it is not a strong insult.