普遍 (pǔ biàn) is an adjective meaning 'widespread' or 'universal' — describing something that exists, occurs, or applies across a large area, group, or situation. The character 普 (pǔ) means 'general' or 'common', while 遍 (biàn) conveys 'throughout' or 'everywhere'; together, they emphasize broad, extensive coverage without exception. It often modifies nouns (e.g., 普遍现象 'a widespread phenomenon') and frequently appears in formal writing, news reports, academic discussions, and policy statements.

This word carries a neutral-to-formal register and is rarely used in casual speech. It commonly pairs with nouns like 问题 (wèntí, 'issue'), 现象 (xiànxiàng, 'phenomenon'), or 观点 (guāndiǎn, 'viewpoint') to indicate something shared by many people or found across many contexts — for example, a health issue affecting most regions of a country, or a belief held by the majority of a population. Unlike colloquial terms like 到处都有 (dào chù dōu yǒu, 'there’s everywhere'), 普遍 emphasizes systemic or collective prevalence rather than mere physical distribution.