fán
adjective/adverb HSK 7-9 #7,872

Meanings

  1. 1 ordinary; mundane
  2. 2 every; all; any

Examples

Fēifán de chéngjiù.
Extraordinary achievements.
Fánshì xuéshēng dōu kěyǐ.
Any student can do it.

Tips

usage
平凡 = ordinary, 非凡 = extraordinary, 凡是 = every/any.

Components

radical
small table; frame
Outer frame — the indexing radical, here the two-stroke outline that hooks down on the right. etymologically came from a pictograph of a casting mould or floor plan (totally unrelated to a table); modern stroke-count convention files it under because the silhouette matches. Provides the bordering frame around the inner dot.
ideograph
zhǔ
dot; marker stroke
Inner marker dot — distinguishes from the otherwise-identical (table). In the original casting-mould reading, the dot represents the contents poured into the form, giving the meaning 'every instance that fits the standard'. Without this single dot the character is just ; with it, it means 'all, every, ordinary' (凡是, 凡人, 不平).

Stroke Order

fán