中庸

• Pinyin: zhōng yōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 中 = 口 + 丨 (middle); 庸 = 广 + 用 (ordinary use)

Meaning

The Doctrine of the Mean; moderation. As an adjective, moderate, balanced, or middle-of-the-road.

A core Confucian concept advocating balance and avoiding extremes. Can be used philosophically for the ideal of harmony, or colloquially to describe something mediocre or lacking distinction.

Examples

1. 中庸之道是儒家思想的核心之一。 The Doctrine of the Mean is one of the core ideas in Confucian thought.
2. 他的设计风格偏于中庸，缺乏创新。 His design style is fairly middle-of-the-road and lacks innovation.
3. 为人处世应当把握中庸的尺度。 In dealing with people, you should keep a sense of moderation.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, criticism, lifestyle

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 古人推崇中庸之道以求和谐。(The ancients advocated the Doctrine of the Mean to seek harmony.)
• 这个方案过于中庸，难以脱颖而出。(This plan is too middle-of-the-road to stand out.)

Don't Say

• 我中庸地跑步 — 中庸 describes philosophy or quality, not manner of physical action

Origin & History

中 (middle) + 庸 (ordinary/constant)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal