凡是

fán shì

every; any; all

HSK Level 6

Example Sentences

凡是能用钱解决的问题,都不是问题。

Fán shì néng yòng qián jiějué de wèntí, dōu bù shì wèntí.

Anything that can be solved with money is not a problem.

凡是过去,皆为序章。

Fán shì guòqù, jiē wèi xùzhāng.

All that has passed is but a prologue.

凡是人,都有缺点。

Fán shì rén, dōu yǒu quēdiǎn.

To err is human.

Synonyms

Antonyms

有时 (yǒushí)

sometimes

偶尔 (ǒu'ěr)

occasionally

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 凡是 (fán shì) is a compound word consisting of two characters: 凡 (fán) and 是 (shì). The character 凡 means "all," "every," or "in all cases," while the character 是 means "to be" or "is." Together, the two characters form a word that means "in all cases," "always," or "every time."The word 凡是 is often used in conditional sentences to express a general truth or principle. For example, the sentence 凡是人都有缺点 (fán shì rén dōu yǒu quēdiǎn) means "all people have shortcomings." This sentence expresses the general truth that no one is perfect.The word 凡是 can also be used in affirmative sentences to emphasize the universality of a statement. For example, the sentence 凡是中国人都会说中文 (fán shì zhōngguó rén dōu huì shuō zhōngwén) means "all Chinese people can speak Chinese." This sentence emphasizes the fact that the ability to speak Chinese is a common characteristic of all Chinese people.The word 凡是 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.

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