平 píng level
level; flat; peaceful; ordinary
How to remember 平: 干 do + 丷 horns = level. With nothing else to do on the rodeo ground, a worker drags an old set of cattle horns behind his quad until the sand lies level.
Component breakdown
平 = 干 do + 丷 horns
- 干 do
- 丷 horns
With nothing else to do on the rodeo ground, a worker drags an old set of cattle horns behind his quad until the sand lies level.
How it came to be
A beam with a weight hanging either side of the upright: a balance, drawn at rest. What the shape says is that the two sides have come to the same height.
How it is used
- Core "flat/level/even," extended to "peaceful" and "ordinary." 平时 (píngshí) usually/normally, 平常 (píngcháng) ordinary/usually.
- 水平 (shuǐpíng) = level/standard (of skill): 汉语水平 (Hànyǔ shuǐpíng) Chinese proficiency - a must-know, not literally "water level."
- 公平 (gōngpíng) fair, 平均 (píngjūn) average, 平安 (píng'ān) safe and sound (a common blessing), 平台 (píngtái) platform.
Characters built with 平
Words with 平
- 平时píngshíusuallyHSK 3
- 水平shuǐpínglevelHSK 3
- 平常píngchángordinaryHSK 4
- 公平gōngpíngfairHSK 5
- 平台píngtáiplatformHSK 5
- 平均píngjūnaverageHSK 5
- 平安píng’ānsafe and soundHSK 5
- 平衡pínghéngbalanceHSK 5
- 平静píngjìngtranquilHSK 5
- 和平hépíngpeaceHSK 6
- 平凡píngfáncommonplaceHSK 6
- 平方píngfāngsquareHSK 6
- 平方米píngfāngmǐsquare meterHSK 6
- 平等píngděngequalHSK 6
- 不平bùpíngunevenHSK 7
- 和平共处hépínggòngchǔpeaceful coexistence of nations, societies etcHSK 7
- 天平tiānpíngscales (to weigh things)HSK 7
- 太平tàipíngpeace and securityHSK 7
- 平价píngjiàreasonably pricedHSK 7
- 平原píngyuánfieldHSK 7
- 平和pínghégentleHSK 7
- 平息píngxīto subsideHSK 7
- 平房píngfángbungalowHSK 7
- 平日píngrìordinary dayHSK 7
- 平行píngxíngparallelHSK 7
- 平面píngmiànplane (flat surface)HSK 7
- 持平chípíngto stay levelHSK 7
- 生平shēngpínglife (a person's whole life)HSK 7
- 平坦píngtǎnlevelHSK 8
- 平庸píngyōngmediocreHSK 8
- 平淡píngdànflatHSK 8
- 平稳píngwěnsmoothHSK 8
- 摆平bǎipíngto be fairHSK 8
Example sentences
- 太阳出现在地平线上。 Tàiyáng chūxiàn zài dìpíngxiàn shàng.The sun appeared on the horizon.
- 你平时喜爱做运动吗？ Nǐ píngshí xǐ'ài zuò yùndòng ma?Do you normally like doing sports?
- 农村的生活水平不高。 Nóngcūn de shēnghuó shuǐpíng bù gāo.The living standard in rural areas is not high.
- 他们跑步的速度很平均。 Tāmen pǎobù de sùdù hěn píngjūn.They run at an even pace.