Chinese–EnglishWith examples

普通人

pǔ tōng rén · pu tong ren

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 7–9

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. ordinary person
  2. private citizen
  3. people
  4. the person in the street
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In a conversation

0:27 cartoon

Famous or ordinary?

  1. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)想(xiǎng)当(dāng)明星(míngxīng)，你(nǐ)呢(ne)？

    I want to be a star. What about you?

  2. Dengdeng

    我(wǒ)只(zhǐ)想(xiǎng)当(dāng)普通人(pǔtōngrén)，每天(měitiān)过(guò)得(de)简单(jiǎndān)。

    I only want to be an ordinary person and live simply every day.

  3. Liangliang

    普通人(pǔtōngrén)有(yǒu)什么(shénme)好(hǎo)？没有(méiyǒu)人(rén)认识(rènshi)你(nǐ)。

    What is good about being an ordinary person? Nobody knows you.

  4. Dengdeng

    对(duì)，普通人(pǔtōngrén)可以(kěyǐ)安静(ānjìng)地(de)吃饭(chīfàn)。

    Yes, an ordinary person can eat in peace.

  5. Liangliang

    那(nà)今天(jīntiān)我(wǒ)也(yě)当(dāng)普通人(pǔtōngrén)，一起(yīqǐ)去(qù)排队(páiduì)买(mǎi)包子(bāozi)吧(ba)，要(yào)排(pái)一个(yīgè)小时(xiǎoshí)。

    Then today I will be ordinary too. Let's queue for steamed buns. It takes an hour.

  6. Dengdeng

    一个(yīgè)小时(xiǎoshí)？那(nà)我(wǒ)还是(háishi)当(dāng)明星(míngxīng)吧(ba)，明星(míngxīng)不用(bùyòng)排队(páiduì)。

    An hour? Then I will be a star after all. Stars don't queue.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

法(fǎ)律(lǜ)术(shù)语(yǔ)是(shì)大(dà)多(duō)数(shù)普(pǔ)通(tōng)人(rén)无(wú)法(fǎ)理(lǐ)解(jiě)的(de)。

Legal terminology is usually incomprehensible to non-specialists.

Tatoeba: Chinese by Martha · English by Athomas · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

02

智(zhì)者(zhě)谈(tán)论(lùn)想(xiǎng)法(fǎ), 知(zhī)识(shi)分(fèn)子(zǐ)谈(tán)论(lùn)事(shì)实(shí), 普(pǔ)通(tōng)人(rén)谈(tán)论(lùn)他(tā)吃(chī)什(shén)么(me)。

Wise men talk about ideas, intellectuals about facts, and the ordinary man talks about what he eats.

Tatoeba: Chinese by Martha · English by gracehero · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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