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Kotomora

凡

commonplace, ordinary, mediocre

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes3

Readings

On'yomi

  • ボン
  • ハン

Kun'yomi

  • およ.そ
  • おうよ.そ
  • すべ.て

Nanori

  • なみ
  • ひろ
  • みな

Meaning

凡 centers on the idea of being unremarkable and widespread: something ordinary, commonplace, or mediocre, lacking special distinction.

Most common words using 凡

20 of 45
  • 凡そおよそ
    N3

    about; roughly; approximately

  • 平凡へいぼん
    N2

    ordinary; common; commonplace; mediocre; unremarkable; undistinguished; uneventful

  • 凡人ぼんじん
    N1

    ordinary person; average person; mediocre person

  • 凡ぼん

    ordinary; common; mediocre

  • 非凡ひぼん

    extraordinary; uncommon; remarkable; unusual; rare; prodigious

  • 凡庸ぼんよう

    mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; banal

  • 凡退ぼんたい

    out in 1-2-3 order

  • 平凡社へいぼんしゃ

    Heibonsha Ltd (publishers)

  • 凡夫ぼんぷ

    ordinary person

  • 凡例はんれい

    explanatory notes (at the start of a book); introductory remarks; usage guide (e.g. of a dictionary)

  • 凡百ぼんぴゃく

    various; many; all kinds of

  • 平々凡々へいへいぼんぼん

    very ordinary; mediocre; all-too-common; quite commonplace

  • 凡打ぼんだ

    easy fly; easy grounder

  • 三者凡退さんしゃぼんたい

    out in 1-2-3 order

  • 不凡ふぼん

    uncommon; outstanding

  • 凡々ぼんぼん

    ordinary; usual

  • 凡ならざるぼんならざる

    uncommon; extraordinary; rare

  • 凡フライぼんフライ

    easy fly

  • 凡ミスぼんミス

    basic mistake; careless mistake

  • 凡事ぼんじ

    reasonable thing; natural thing

Explore all words using 凡 →

Study

Etymology

凡 originally depicted a sail or a flat, broad shape, conveying the idea of something widespread and common. The modern form retains the enclosing 几 with an inner dot, but the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The outer 几 looks like a plain, ordinary table, and the inner dot is just a speck of dust on it. Together they suggest something utterly commonplace and mediocre.

Reading mnemonic

For ボン, imagine a boring, ordinary bonfire that is so mediocre it barely lights up: bon -> ボン, and the fire is as commonplace as the kanji's meaning.