公平

• Reading: こうへい
• Romaji: kouhei
• Kanji breakdown: 公 (kou) — public, official; 平 (hei) — flat, even, peaceful
• Pronunciation: /koː.he.i/

Meaning

Fair; impartial; just. Describes treating everyone equally without bias.

A na-adjective used to describe judgments, rules, treatment, or systems that are free from favouritism: 公平な判断 (a fair judgment), 公平に扱う (to treat fairly). Also used as a noun meaning 'fairness.' The opposite is 不公平 (unfair). Slightly more formal than フェア.

Examples

1. 先生は全員を公平に評価するべきだ。 Teachers should evaluate everyone fairly.
2. 公平なルールがないと試合にならない。 Without fair rules, you can't have a proper game.
3. 彼は常に公平な判断をする人だ。 He's someone who always makes fair judgments.

Usage Guide

Context: education, legal, society

Tone: principled

Origin & History

Compound of 公 (kou, public/official) and 平 (hei, flat/even). Together, 'publicly even' — a level standard applied equally to everyone.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal