中庸
zhōng yōng · HSK 7
mediocre
⚖️ 中庸 = 中 (center/middle) + 庸 (ordinary/constant) — the steady middle path
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).