Chinese word

比比皆是

Pronunciation

Pinyinbǐ bǐ jiē shì

Meaning

  • idiombe everywhere

Example

街上这样的便利店比比皆是。jiē shàng zhè yàng de biàn lì diàn bí bǐ jiē shì

Convenience stores like this are everywhere on the street.

Illustration for 比比皆是 (be everywhere)

More examples

市场上假货比比皆是。shì chǎng shàng jiǎ huò bí bǐ jiē shì

Counterfeit goods are everywhere in the market.

Core concept

One common pattern spread so widely that separate places seem to contain it in an unbroken row.

Common phrases

  • 生活中比比皆是shēng huó zhōng bí bǐ jiē shì

    be everywhere in daily life

  • 历史记载中比比皆是lì shǐ jì zǎi zhōng bí bǐ jiē shì

    be everywhere in historical records

Similar words

随处可见suí chù kě jiàn: Able to be seen anywhere, emphasizing that examples are easy to find in ordinary places.
处处可见chù chù kě jiàn: Visible in every place under discussion, with no area seeming to be left out.
举目皆是jǔ mù jiē shì: Seen all around when one looks around, with the same kind of thing filling the view.
触目皆是chù mù jiē shì: Meeting the eye wherever one looks, making the same kind of thing hard to miss.

Definition in Chinese

表示某物或某事在很多地方普遍存在，到处可见。biǎo shì mǒu wù huò mǒu shì zài hěn duō dì fāng pǔ biàn cún zài dào chù kě jiàn

Word origin

The repeated 比 (bǐ, "side by side") evokes successive instances, and 皆是 (jiēshì, "all are so") says that every such instance has the same status, giving the idiom its sense of widespread presence.

Usage tips

  • The idiom works well for neutral observations about shops, products, habits, or other familiar things, but its formal tone can make it sound less casual than ordinary conversation.

Other meanings

  • be commonplaceidiom

Opposites

  • 凤毛麟角fèng máo lín jiǎobe extremely rareidiom
  • 屈指可数qū zhí ké shǔbe few enough to count on one handidiom

Word lists with this word