平

See also: 乎
平 U+5E73, 平
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5E73
← 干
[U+5E72]
CJK Unified Ideographs 年 →
[U+5E74]

Translingual

Stroke order
5 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

平 (Kangxi radical 51, 干+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 一火十 (MFJ), four-corner 10409, composition ⿻干丷(GHTJV) or ⿻干八(K))

Derived characters

Further reading

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 339, character 3
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 9167
  • Dae Jaweon: page 646, character 3
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 407, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+5E73

Chinese

simp. and trad.
平
alternative forms 𠀒
𠀭
𤔁

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 平
Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(p/b)ljaŋ (“plank; palm; flat surface; wing”), whence Jingpho phun-pyen (phun⁵⁵ pjen³³, “plank”) and Burmese ပြန့် (pran., “flat and even”) (STEDT).

Pronunciation 1


Note: peng4 - only in the sense "cheap".
Note: piang3 - only in the sense "cheap".
Note: biâng - colloquial.
Note:
  • bàng - colloquial;
  • bìng - literary.

  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 平
Mandarin Beijing /pʰiŋ³⁵/
Harbin /pʰiŋ²⁴/
Tianjin /pʰiŋ⁴⁵/
Jinan /pʰiŋ⁴²/
Qingdao /pʰiŋ⁴²/
Zhengzhou /pʰiŋ⁴²/
Xi'an /pʰiŋ²⁴/
Xining /pʰiə̃²⁴/
Yinchuan /pʰiŋ⁵³/
Lanzhou /pʰĩn⁵³/
Ürümqi /pʰiŋ⁵¹/
Wuhan /pʰin²¹³/
Chengdu /pʰin³¹/
Guiyang /pʰin²¹/
Kunming /pʰĩ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /pʰin²⁴/
Hefei /pʰin⁵⁵/
Jin Taiyuan /pʰiəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /pʰiŋ¹³/
Hohhot /pʰĩŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /biŋ²³/
Suzhou /bin¹³/
Hangzhou /bin²¹³/
Wenzhou /beŋ³¹/
Hui Shexian /pʰiʌ̃⁴⁴/
Tunxi /pʰɛ⁴⁴/
Xiang Changsha /pin¹³/
Xiangtan /bin¹²/
Gan Nanchang /pʰiɑŋ²⁴/
/pʰin²⁴/ ~時
Hakka Meixian /pʰin¹¹/ 和~
/pʰiaŋ¹¹/ 唔~
Taoyuan /pʰiɑŋ¹¹/
Cantonese Guangzhou /pʰeŋ²¹/
Nanning /pʰeŋ²¹/
Hong Kong /pʰiŋ²¹/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /piŋ³⁵/
/pĩ³⁵/ ~~路
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /piŋ⁵³/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /peiŋ²¹/ 太~
/piaŋ³³/ ~均
Shantou (Teochew) /pʰeŋ⁵⁵/
/pẽ⁵⁵/
Haikou (Hainanese) /feŋ³¹/
/ʔbɛ³¹/

Rime
Character 平
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 並 (3)
Final (韻) 庚 (111)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 符兵切
Baxter bjaeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/bˠiæŋ/
Pan
Wuyun
/bᵚiaŋ/
Shao
Rongfen
/biaŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/biajŋ/
Li
Rong
/biɐŋ/
Wang
Li
/bĭɐŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren
/bʱi̯ɐŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
píng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
ping4
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 平 平
Reading # 2/3 3/3
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
píng píng
Middle
Chinese
‹ bjæng › ‹ bjæng ›
Old
Chinese
/*breŋ/ /*m-breŋ/
English even (adj.) make even

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 平
Reading # 2/2
No. 9818
Phonetic
component
平
Rime
group
耕
Rime
subdivision
0
Corresponding
MC rime
平
Old
Chinese
/*beŋ/

Definitions

平

  1. level; even; flat
    平放  ―  píng fàng  ―  to put horizontally
    平原  ―  píngyuán  ―  plain
    馬路很平。/马路很平。  ―  Mǎlù hěn píng.  ―  The road is very flat.
  2. equal; fair
    平分  ―  píngfēn  ―  to divide evenly
    持平  ―  chípíng  ―  impartial
    Synonym: 均 (jūn)
  3. equal
    平輩/平辈  ―  píngbèi  ―  same generation
    平起平坐  ―  píngqǐpíngzuò  ―  to be on an equal footing
    平了世界紀錄/平了世界纪录  ―  píng le shìjiè jìlù  ―  equalled a world record
    雙方打成五平。/双方打成五平。  ―  Shuāngfāng dǎ chéng wǔ píng.  ―  They reached 5-5.
  4. to level; to make level
  5. calm; peaceful
    Synonyms: 穩/稳 (wěn), 靜/静 (jìng)
    太平  ―  tàipíng  ―  peaceful and tranquil
    風平浪靜/风平浪静  ―  fēngpínglàngjìng  ―  to have no waves
    心平氣和/心平气和  ―  xīnpíngqìhé  ―  even-tempered and good-humoured
  6. to calm down; to make peaceful; to quiet down
    平民憤/平民愤  ―  píng mínfèn  ―  to assuage popular indignation
    你先平平氣!/你先平平气!  ―  Nǐ xiān píng píng qì!  ―  Just calm down a bit first!
  7. to pacify
    平叛  ―  píngpàn  ―  to suppress a rebellion
  8. ordinary; common; mediocre; average
    Synonyms: 常 (cháng), 庸
    Antonyms: 奇, 特 (tè)
    平日  ―  píngrì  ―  normal days
    平凡  ―  píngfán  ―  ordinary
    平民  ―  píngmín  ―  civilian
  9. (Chinese phonetics) level tone (one of the four tones in Middle Chinese)
    平上去入  ―  píngshǎngqùrù  ―  the four tones of Middle Chinese: level, rising, departing and checked
    陽平/阳平  ―  yángpíng  ―  light level tone
  10. (Cantonese, Hakka, Northern Min) cheap; inexpensive
    Antonym: 貴/贵
    平機票/平机票 [Cantonese]  ―  peng4 gei1 piu3 [Jyutping]  ―  cheap air tickets
    平啲得唔得呀? [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
    peng4 di1 dak1 m4 dak1 aa3? [Jyutping]
    Can it be cheaper?
    不如平平地賣畀我啦。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    不如平平地卖畀我啦。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    bat1 jyu4 peng4 peng4-2 dei6-2 maai6 bei2 ngo5 laa1. [Jyutping]
    What about selling it to me at a lower price?
  11. (Southern Min, Hakka) the same
    伊佮我平懸。 [Teochew, trad.]
    伊佮我平悬。 [Teochew, simp.]
    i1 gah4 ua2 bên5 guin5. [Peng'im]
    He is as tall as me.
  12. (historical) Short for 北平 (Běipíng).
    平津戰役/平津战役  ―  Píng Jīn zhànyì  ―  Pingjin campaign
  13. Short for 平方米 (píngfāngmǐ, “square metre”). Used with numbers without classifiers.
  14. A surname, number 95 of the Baijiaxing
Synonyms
See also
The tones (of Chinese) in Mandarin · 聲調/声调 (shēngdiào) (layout · text)
平仄 (píngzè) 平 (píng)
平聲/平声 (píngshēng)
仄 (zè)
仄聲/仄声 (zèshēng)
平上去入 (píngshǎngqùrù)
四聲/四声 (sìshēng)
平 (píng)
平聲/平声 (píngshēng)
上 (shǎng)
上聲/上声 (shǎngshēng)
去 (qù)
去聲/去声 (qùshēng)
入 (rù)
入聲/入声 (rùshēng)
標調方法/标调方法 (biāodiào fāngfǎ)
標調法/标调法
四角標調法/四角标调法 ꜀◌ ꜂◌ ◌꜄ ◌꜆
[Term?] ◌〪 ◌〫 ◌〬 ◌〭
傍點/傍点 ∅ ◌〮 ◌〯 ∅
四聲八調/四声八调 陰平/阴平 (yīnpíng) 陽平/阳平 (yángpíng) 陰上/阴上 (yīnshǎng) 陽上/阳上 (yángshǎng) 陰去/阴去 (yīnqù) 陽去/阳去 (yángqù) 陰入/阴入 (yīnrù) 陽入/阳入 (yángrù)
陰/阴 (yīn) 陽/阳 (yáng)
標調方法/标调方法 (biāodiào fāngfǎ)
標調法/标调法
四角標調法/四角标调法 ꜀◌ ꜁◌ ꜂◌ ꜃◌ ◌꜄ ◌꜅ ◌꜆ ◌꜇
The tones (of Standard Mandarin) in Mandarin · 聲調/声调 (shēngdiào) (layout · text)
四聲/四声 (sìshēng) 陰平/阴平 (yīnpíng)
一聲/一声
陽平/阳平 (yángpíng)
二聲/二声 (èrshēng)
上聲/上声 (shǎngshēng)
三聲/三声 (sānshēng)
去聲/去声 (qùshēng)
四聲/四声 (sìshēng)
輕聲/轻声 (qīngshēng)

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (平):
  • → Japanese: 平(へい) (hei)
  • → Korean: 평(平) (pyeong)
  • → Vietnamese: bình (平)

Others:

  • → Iu Mien: baengh (“level”)
  • → Proto-Palaungic: *-pre/iŋ (“equal, level”) (Sidwell, 2015)
  • → Proto-Tai: *biangᴬ (“flat, even”)
    • Lao: ພຽງ (phīang, “flat, even, equal”)
    • Lü: ᦵᦗᧂ (peng, “flat, even, equal”)
    • Northern Thai: ᨻ᩠ᨿᨦ (“flat, even, equal”)
    • Shan: ပဵင်း (páeng, “flat, even, equal”)
    • Thai: เพียง (piiang, “equal, as, only, just”)

Pronunciation 2



Rime
Character 平
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 並 (3)
Final (韻) 仙 (77)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 房連切
Baxter bjien
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/biᴇn/
Pan
Wuyun
/biɛn/
Shao
Rongfen
/bjæn/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/bian/
Li
Rong
/biɛn/
Wang
Li
/bĭɛn/
Bernard
Karlgren
/bʱi̯ɛn/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
pián
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
pin4
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 平
Reading # 1/3
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
pián
Middle
Chinese
‹ bjien ›
Old
Chinese
/*[b]en/
English distinguish; punctiious

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 平
Reading # 1/2
No. 9812
Phonetic
component
平
Rime
group
元
Rime
subdivision
2
Corresponding
MC rime
便
Old
Chinese
/*ben/

Definitions

平

  1. Alternative form of 辨

Pronunciation 3


Definitions

平

  1. (obsolete) to control prices

Pronunciation 4

For pronunciation and definitions of 平 – see 抨 (“to shoot with a catapult; to pat; to beat; etc.”).
(This character is a variant form of 抨).

References

Japanese

Shinjitai 平
Kyūjitai
[1][2]

平󠄁
平+&#xE0101;?
(Adobe-Japan1)
平󠄃
平+&#xE0103;?
(Hanyo-Denshi)
(Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment.
See here for details.

Kanji

平

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng):

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjien), as an alternative form for 弁:

From native Japanese roots:

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
平
ひら
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

⟨pi1ra⟩ → /pʲira/ → /ɸira/ → /hira/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pira.

Pronunciation

Noun

平(ひら) • (hira) 

  1. something flat; flattened
  2. something ordinary, common, mediocre
  3. a person of low-ranking status
    1. a freshman
    2. a novice
    3. a private
  4. the top ridge of a roof parallel to the side of a building (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
  5. Short for 平織 (hiraori, “plain weave”).
  6. in bookbinding, the flat part of a cover (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
  7. Short for 平椀 (hirawan).
Derived terms

Prefix

平(ひら) • (hira-) 

  1. single-minded (Can we verify(+) this sense?)
    connects to a noun

Proper noun

平(ひら) • (Hira) 

  1. a female given name
  2. a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
平
たいら
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

⟨tapi1ra⟩ → /tapʲira/ → /taɸira/ → /tawira/ → /taira/

Nominalization of adjective 平ら (taira, “flat, level”).

Noun

平(たいら) • (taira) ←たひら (tafira)?

  1. a plain, flat (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

Proper noun

平(たいら) • (Taira) ←たひら (tafira)?

  1. a surname, especially of those descended from imperial lineage ineligible for the Chrysanthemum Throne:
    1. the 桓武平氏 (Kanmu Heishi), from Emperor Kanmu
    2. the 仁明平氏 (Ninmyō Heishi), from Emperor Ninmyō
    3. the 文徳平氏 (Montoku Heishi), from Emperor Montoku, and
    4. the 光孝平氏 (Kōkō Heishi), from Emperor Kōkō
  2. a placename, especially in Iwaki city, Fukushima Prefecture
  3. a male given name
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
平
へい
Grade: 3
kan’on

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng).

The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

Pronunciation

Noun

平(へい) • (hei) 

  1. something neither high nor low
  2. something calm

Affix

平(へい) • (hei) 

  1. even, flat, level
  2. flatten, level
  3. uniform
  4. calm, gentle, peaceful
  5. common, ordinary, usual
  6. Short for 平氏 (Heishi) or 平家 (Heike): Taira clan
  7. (mathematics) square, square root
Derived terms

Proper noun

平(へい) • (Hei) 

  1. a surname

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
平
ひょう
Grade: 3
kan’yōon

/pʲau/ → /ɸʲɔː/ → /hʲoː/

Possibly from Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng).

The 慣用音 (kan'yōon, literally “commonly accepted sound”) reading, a pronunciation in common usage based on a corruption of the Middle Chinese borrowing.

Pronunciation

Noun

平(ひょう) • (hyō) ←ひやう (fyau)?

  1. Short for 平韻 (hyōin): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
  2. Short for 平調 (hyōjō): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Affix

平(ひょう) • (hyō) ←ひやう (fyau)?

  1. Short for 平声 (hyōshō): the level tone in Middle Chinese

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
平
びょう
Grade: 3
goon

/bʲau/ → /bʲɔː/ → /bʲoː/

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng).

The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely the earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese.

Affix

平(びょう) • (byō) ←びやう (byau)?

  1. impartial, unbiased

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
平
Grade: 3
nanori

Nominalization of classical verb おさむ (osamu), modern おさめる (osameru, multiple definitions in kanji).

Proper noun

平(おさむ) • (Osamu) ←をさむ (wosamu)?

  1. a surname
  2. a male given name (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

Etymology 7

Kanji in this term
平
Grade: 3
nanori

Nominalization of classical adjective 等し (hitoshi), modern 等しい (hitoshii, “equal, same”).

Proper noun

平(ひとし) • (Hitoshi) 

  1. a surname
  2. a male given name

Etymology 8

Kanji in this term
平
Grade: 3
nanori

Nominalization of classical adjective 広し (hiroshi), modern 広い (hiroi, “vast, wide”).

Proper noun

平(ひろし) • (Hiroshi) 

  1. a male given name

Etymology 9

Kanji in this term
平
Grade: 3
nanori

Nominalization of classical adjective 安し (yasushi), modern 安い (yasui, “peaceful, quiet”).

Proper noun

平(やすし) • (Yasushi) 

  1. a male given name (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

Etymology 10

Kanji in this term
平
Grade: 3
nanori

Nominalization of classical adjective 良し (yoshi), modern 良い (yoi, “good, fine”).

Proper noun

平(よし) • (Yoshi) 

  1. a surname

References

  1. “平”, in 漢字ぺディア (Kanjipedia)‎ (in Japanese), 日本漢字能力検定協会, 2015–2024
  2. Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 772 (paper), page 436 (digital)
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

平 (eumhun 평평할 평 (pyeongpyeonghal pyeong))

  1. Hanja form? of 평 (“to be flat, level, plane”).

Derived terms

Vietnamese

Han character

平: Hán Việt readings: bình[1][2][3][4][5], biền[5]
平: Nôm readings: bình[1][2], bằng[1][2], bừng[1], bường[2]

  1. chữ Hán form of bình (“level, flat, peaceful (in compounds)”).

Compounds

References

  1. Nguyễn (2014).
  2. Trần (2004).
  3. Trần (1999).
  4. Nguyễn (1974).
  5. Thiều Chửu (1942).
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