普通

The Chinese character 普通 (pǔtōng) is composed of two parts: 普 (pǔ), meaning "universal" or "common", and 通 (tōng), meaning "to pass through" or "to communicate". Together, these two characters form the word 普通, which literally means "common passage" or "universal communication". This meaning is reflected in the way the word is used in Chinese, where it often refers to things that are common, widespread, or standard. For example, 普通话 (pǔtōnghuà) means "standard Mandarin", the official language of China, and 普通人 (pǔtōngrén) means "ordinary person" or "average person". The word 普通 can also be used in a more abstract sense, to refer to things that are general or universal in nature. For example, 普通规律 (pǔtōng guīlü) means "universal law" or "general principle", and 普通知识 (pǔtōng zhīshi) means "general knowledge" or "common sense".