平常心 (píng cháng xīn) — composure; equanimity; a calm and ordinary stat…

Definition

A calm, even state of mind — staying composed and unruffled whether things go well or badly. Usually paired with 保持 or 以…对待.

noun

composureequanimitya calm and ordinary state of mind

，平常心。
Wú lùn zài shén me qíng kuàng xià, tā dōu néng bǎo chí píng cháng xīn.
No matter what the situation, he can maintain his composure.
，平常心。
Miàn duì chéng gōng hé shī bài, tā dōu yǐ píng cháng xīn duì dài.
She treats both success and failure with equanimity.
平常心。
Xiū xí fó fǎ kě yǐ ràng rén yōng yǒu yì kē píng cháng xīn.
Practicing Buddhism can help one attain an ordinary mind.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

平常ordinary

联合Side by side

平常 means ordinary or everyday, and 心 is mind, together a calm ordinary state of mind.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.