凡
commonplace, ordinary, mediocre
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
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.