平等

• Reading: びょうどう
• Romaji: byoudou
• Kanji breakdown: 平 (byou) — flat, level, peaceful; 等 (dou) — equal, class, rank
• Pronunciation: /bʲoː.doː/

Meaning

Equality; impartiality; evenness. The state of being equal in status, rights, or opportunities.

A noun and na-adjective used to express fairness and equal treatment. 平等 is central to discussions of social justice and human rights in Japanese. It takes な before nouns (平等な社会). Common collocations include 男女平等 (gender equality), 平等に扱う (to treat equally), and 平等な権利 (equal rights).

Examples

1. すべての人は平等に扱われるべきだ。 All people should be treated equally.
2. 男女平等は大切なテーマです。 Gender equality is an important topic.
3. 平等な社会をつくるために何ができるか考えよう。 Let's think about what we can do to create an equal society.

Usage Guide

Context: social issues, law, education

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 平 (flat, level, peaceful) and 等 (equal, class, rank). Together they mean level and equal — equality.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal