Japanese word

普遍

Pronunciation

Romajifuhen

Meaning

  • noununiversality

Example

普遍の真理を学びます。fu hen no shin ri o mana bi ma su

We study a universal truth.

Illustration for 普遍 (universality)

More examples

教育には普遍と地域性の両方が必要です。kyō iku ni wa fu hen to chi iki sei no ryō hō ga hitsu yō de su

Education needs both universality and regional character.

Core concept

Expresses the idea that a quality or rule extends beyond individual examples and holds in a broad range of cases.

Common phrases

  • 普遍を求めるfu hen o moto me ru

    seek universality

  • 普遍を重んじるfu hen o omo n ji ru

    value universality

  • 普遍を追求するfu hen o tsui kyū su ru

    pursue universality

Similar words

一般性ippansei: The quality of applying to many cases rather than being limited to one specific case.
共通性kyōtsūsei: The quality of being shared by different people, things, or groups.

Definition in Japanese

個々の事例を超えて、広い範囲に共通して成り立つこと。ko ko no ji rei o ko e te hiro i han i ni kyō tsū shi te na ri ta tsu ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word 普遍 (fuhen, "universality") joins 普 (fu, "general") with 遍 (hen, "throughout") to express general validity.

Usage tips

  • In discussions of culture, ethics, or knowledge, 普遍 (fuhen) marks a claim as broadly valid rather than tied to one society, period, or example.

Opposites

  • 個別kobetsuindividualna-adjective
  • 特殊tokushuspecialna-adjective

Related words

  • 普遍的fuhentekiuniversalna-adjective
  • 普遍性fuhenseiuniversalitynoun
  • 普遍化fuhenkauniversalizationnoun

Word lists with this word