平常
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 5
平常 (píngcháng) · usually
平常 (píngcháng) means “usually; ordinary; common”. It is written with 2 characters: 平 (flat) + 常 (often). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 平常 is built
The characters
平 píng · flat
What 平 is made of
- 干gàn — dry (gān)
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
Origin hint: A leveling scale (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
常 cháng · often
What 常 is made of
- 尚shàng — still
- ⺌ — structural part
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 巾jīn — cloth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: 巾 gives the meaning, 尚 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
平常我七点起床。Píngcháng wǒ qī diǎn qǐchuáng.I usually get up at seven.
这是很平常的事。Zhè shì hěn píngcháng de shì.This is a very ordinary thing.
Questions about 平常
What does 平常 mean?
平常 (píngcháng) means “usually; ordinary; common”.
How do you pronounce 平常?
平常 is pronounced píngcháng.
Which HSK level is 平常?
平常 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 5.
Related words
- 公平gōngpíngfair
- 平安píng'ānsafe
- 平等píngděngequal
- 平时píngshíusually
- 水平shuǐpínglevel
- 一路平安yīlù píng'ānhave a safe trip
- 和平hépíngpeace
- 平方píngfāngsquare (meter etc.)
- 平静píngjìngcalm
- 平均píngjūnaverage
Learn 平常 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 29: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.