Chinese word

笼罩

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǒng zhào

Meaning

  • verbcover

Example

夜色笼罩着小镇。yè sè lǒng zhào zhe xiǎo zhèn

Night covers the town.

Illustration for 笼罩 (cover)

More examples

沉默笼罩会议室，大家屏住呼吸。chén mò lǒng zhào huì yì shì dà jiā bǐng zhù hū xī

Silence filled the meeting room, and everyone held their breath.

Core concept

Something spreads across a space like a layer of darkness, mist, or feeling, leaving the whole space under its influence.

Common phrases

  • 浓雾笼罩港口nóng wù lǒng zhào gáng kǒu

    thick fog covers the harbor

  • 乌云笼罩天空wū yún lǒng zhào tiān kōng

    dark clouds cover the sky

  • 忧虑笼罩心头yōu lǜ lǒng zhào xīn tóu

    worry weighs on the mind

Similar words

覆盖fù gài: Lay over a surface or area so completely that what is underneath becomes hidden.
遮蔽zhē bì: Shut out light or block a view with something in the way.
弥漫mí màn: Spread through an area until smells, smoke, or moods fill the space.

Definition in Chinese

使某物或某一地区被覆盖或包围，可指具体的遮盖（如雾、黑暗、云层），也可指无形的气氛或情感弥漫整个场面。shǐ mǒu wù huò mǒu yí dì qū bèi fù gài huò bāo wéi kě zhǐ jù tǐ de zhē gài rú wù hēi àn yún céng yě kě zhǐ wú xíng de qì fēn huò qíng gǎn mí màn zhěng gè chǎng miàn

Word origin

The compound joins 笼 (lǒng, "basket or cage") with 罩 (zhào, "cover or hood"), moving from the idea of enclosing and covering to a layer that extends over an entire place or scene.

Usage tips

  • English cover often suggests an object placed on another object, but this Chinese verb readily describes an atmosphere spreading across a setting.

Other meanings

  • fillverb

Opposites

  • 揭开jiē kāirevealverb
  • 驱散qū sàndisperseverb

Word lists with this word