平

Stroke order

Stroke order

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))

• 伻, 呯, 坪, 㛁, 岼, 𪪭, 怦, 抨, 泙, 𨸶, 𫯡, 𪰓, 胓, 枰, 𤇊, 𤘾, 玶, 𨒳, 𪜉, 𬑈, 砰, 秤, 𥹒, 𮈈, 䍈, 䍬, 蚲, 評 (评), 軯, 𨥾, 𢆠, 駍 (𬳴), 鮃 (鲆), 䶄, 𢆊, 𢆕, 㼞, 𨠟, 𪪇, 匉, 𰃯, 苹, 𢆓, 𤵣, 𬔳, 閛, 𡊞

• 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

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

Uncertain. Various explanations include:

• According to the Shuowen, 八 (“division”) + 亏 (“exhaled air”) — the smooth flow of speech.
• Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *ben, *beŋ) : phonetic 釆 () + semantic 二 (“two equal lines”) (Lin Yiguang, 1920)
• A pictogram (象形) of waterweed spread flat on the surface of water. Original form of 苹 (OC *beŋ, “duckweed”). (Lawrence J. Howell)
• Pictogram (象形) of a balance scale. (Karlgren, 1973)

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).

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

   • 國治而後天下平。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     国治而后天下平。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Guó zhì érhòu tiānxià píng.

     Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.

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

   • 喪亂既平，既安且寧。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     丧乱既平，既安且宁。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on Bernhard Karlgren's version

     Sāngluàn jì píng, jì ān qiě níng.

     When death and disorder has been settled, there is calm and peace.

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   ―  cheap air tickets

    平啲得唔得呀？ [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

    peng⁴ di¹ dak¹ m⁴ dak¹ aa³?

    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 peng^4-2 dei^6-2 maai⁶ bei² ngo⁵ laa¹.

    What about selling it to me at a lower price?

    • (Can we date this quote?), “海南鷄飯”, 张少林 [Chong Sau Lin] (lyrics), 伍佰 [Wu Bai] (music)‎performed by 张少林 [Chong Sau Lin]:

      价钱係普普通通讲来好平 [Malaysian Huiyang Hakka, simp.]
      價錢係普普通通講來好平 [Malaysian Huiyang Hakka, trad.]

      The price is average, quite cheap

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

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”)

平

1. Alternative form of 辨

平

1. (obsolete) to control prices

• “平”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A01192

Shinjitai	平
Kyūjitai [1][2]	平󠄁 平+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	平󠄃 平+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng):

• Go-on: びょう (byō, Jōyō)^{←びやう (byau, historical)}
• Kan-on: へい (hei, Jōyō)
• Tō-on: ひん (hin)
• Kan’yō-on: ひょう (hyō)^{←ひやう (fyau, historical)}

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

• Go-on: べん (ben)
• Kan-on: へん (hen)

From native Japanese roots:

• Kun: たいら (taira, 平ら, Jōyō)^{←たひら (tafira, 平ら, historical)}、たいら (taira, 平)、たいらか (tairaka, 平らか)、たいらぐ (tairagu, 平らぐ)、たいらげる (tairageru, 平らげる)、ひら (hira, 平, Jōyō)、ひらに (hirani, 平に)
• Nanori: おさむ (osamu)、さね (sane)、たいら (taira)、たか (taka)、つね (tsune)、とし (toshi)、なり (nari)、なる (naru)、はかる (hakaru)、ひとし (hitoshi)、まさる (masaru)、もち (mochi)、よし (yoshi)

• 平(ピン)和(フ) (pinfu)
• 難(なん)平(ぴん) (nanpin)
• 半平(はんぺん) (hanpen)

⟨pi₁ra⟩ → /pʲira/ → /ɸira/ → /hira/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pira.

• (Tokyo) ひら (Atamadaka – )^[3]
• IPA^(key):

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).

平(ひら) • (hira-) 

1. single-minded (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

   connects to a noun

平(ひら) • (Hira) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

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

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

平(たいら) • (taira) ^{←たひら (tafira)?}

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

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

• 松(まつ)平(だいら) (Matsudaira)

From Middle Chinese 平 (MC bjaeng).

• (Tokyo) へー (Atamadaka – )^[3]
• IPA^(key):

平(へい) • (hei) 

1. something neither high nor low
2. something calm

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