泛指

fànzhǐ

verb #46,848

Meanings

1 to refer to in a general sense
2 to be a general reference for

Characters

point to, refer to

Examples

HSK 5

"江南"泛指长江以南的地区。

" Jiāngnán " fànzhǐ Chángjiāng yǐnán de dìqū.

'Jiangnan' generally refers to the region south of the Yangtze.

HSK 5

这个词泛指一切交通工具。

Zhège cí fànzhǐ yíqiè jiāotōng gōngjù.

This word refers to vehicles in general.

Tips

usage

Common in dictionary-style explanations and academic writing. Contrast with 特指 ('to refer specifically to'). A definition often pairs the two: 'X 泛指 Y, 特指 Z' - X is generally Y, but specifically Z.

Stroke Order

泛 fàn

指 zhǐ