凡 fán any
any; every; all; ordinary
How it came to be
The outline of a plain frame or tray, drawn with nothing inside. An everyday thing with no marks on it, so it became the word for ordinary, and then for every one of them.
How it is used
- Two threads. 'Ordinary/mortal' - 平凡 (píngfán) ordinary; 非凡 (fēifán) extraordinary; 凡人 (fánrén) a mere mortal.
- Also a formal 'every/all who': 凡是 (fánshì) 'anyone/anything that…' - 凡是学生都可以参加 (fánshì xuésheng dōu kěyǐ cānjiā) any student may join.