平息
píng xī · HSK 7
to quieten down
🕊️ 平 (calm/level) + 息 (breath/rest) = breathing settles back to calm — a dispute quietens down
平 means level or peaceful and 息 means breath or to rest. When breathing levels out, agitation suppresses and the quarrel settles. Sound cue: PING-shee, the 'shh' of telling a noisy room to quieten down.
平 — horizontal stroke 一 + 干 with two dots 八
平 originally depicted a balance or scale being level, suggesting evenness. The horizontal lines and symmetrical dots evoke a flat, balanced surface. Over time it extended from 'level/flat' to broader senses like 'calm,' 'peaceful,' and 'ordinary.'