普通

ふつう

common

JLPT N4

Character Breakdown

Usage of 普通

The adjective 普通 (pǔtōng) means "ordinary" or "common" and is used to describe things or people that are typical or not special. It often appears before nouns, such as 普通学生 (ordinary student) or 普通公路 (ordinary road).

Common Collocations

  • 普通: an ordinary person, used to describe someone without special status or abilities.
  • 普通话: standard Mandarin Chinese, the common spoken language.
  • 普通: generally speaking, a phrase to introduce a general statement.

Nuances

When using 普通, speakers imply something is average or usual without any particular distinction. It is neutral in tone and widely used in both spoken and written Chinese.

Avoiding Confusion

Do not confuse 普通 with 特别 (special) or 普遍 (widespread). 普通 focuses on ordinariness, while 特别 emphasizes uniqueness, and 普遍 refers to something common in scope or occurrence.

Example Sentences

He is an ordinary student without any special talents.

This road is an ordinary highway, not an expressway.

Generally speaking, he gets up at seven every morning.