中庸 (zhōng yōng) — (noun) the golden mean; the doctrine of the mean (Confucian philosophy of moderation); (adjective) mediocre; ordinary (of a person, often derogatory)
Definition
中庸 is a Confucian term for the 'doctrine of the mean' — moderation as a moral ideal, not just 'average'. As a criticism of a person, it means timid and mediocre, weaker and more negative than 平庸.
noun
the golden meanthe doctrine of the mean (Confucian philosophy of moderation)
adjective
mediocreordinary (of a person, often derogatory)
Examples
- 中庸。Rú jiā rèn wéi zhōng yōng shì zuì gāo dào dé biāo zhǔn.Confucianism considers the golden mean to be the highest moral standard.
- 中庸，。Tā zhè ge rén tài zhōng yōng le, shén me dōu bù gǎn zuò.This person is too mediocre — he doesn't dare to do anything.
- 中庸，。Zuò shì jiǎng jiu zhōng yōng, jì bú guò fēn yě bú tài shǎo.When doing things, one should aim for the golden mean — neither too much nor too little.
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