平价

• Pinyin: píng jià
• Hanzi breakdown: 平 = 干 + 二 (even surface — equal, balanced); 价 = 亻 + 贾 (person + merchant — price set by person in trade)

Meaning

Affordable price; at par; standard price. Refers to something priced within reach of ordinary consumers, or a price set at face/market value without premium.

Used in economics (平价汇率 = par exchange rate), retail (平价超市 = discount supermarket), and medicine (平价药店 = budget pharmacy). Contrasts with 高价 (high price) and 奢侈品 (luxury goods).

Examples

1. 这家平价连锁超市凭借规模优势将采购成本降至最低，令其他同类竞争者在价格层面难以构成有效竞争。 This budget supermarket chain uses economies of scale to drive procurement costs as low as possible, making it hard for similar competitors to compete on price.
2. 政府出台政策鼓励医药企业开设平价门诊，以切实减轻普通民众在基本医疗方面的经济负担。 The government introduced policies encouraging pharmaceutical companies to set up affordable clinics to ease the financial burden of basic medical care for ordinary people.
3. 这款平价护肤品虽定位大众市场，但其成分配方与许多高端品牌不相上下，性价比极高。 Although this budget skincare product targets the mass market, its formula rivals many high-end brands, offering excellent value for money.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, retail, policy, consumer

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 平价航空公司的兴起使更多普通民众得以负担跨城出行，从根本上改变了大众的出行方式与消费结构。(The rise of budget airlines has made intercity travel affordable for more ordinary people, fundamentally changing the public's travel habits and spending patterns.)
• 在通货膨胀压力持续攀升的背景下，政府承诺维持基本粮油商品的平价供应，以保障民众的基本生活所需。(Against a backdrop of sustained inflationary pressure, the government pledged to maintain affordable supplies of basic grain and oil commodities to safeguard the basic livelihood of the public.)

Don't Say

• 平价 refers to affordability or market parity, not to 'free' (免费) or inferior quality; avoid implying 平价 means poor quality — add 高性价比 to signal value without that implication

Origin & History

平 (level, even — 干 + 二) + 价 (price — 亻 person + 贾 merchant)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal