平时
píng shí · HSK 2
ordinarily
⏰ 平 (flat/peaceful) + 时 (time) = peaceful times = ordinary days
平 means flat or peaceful, 时 means time or hour. Together, peaceful/level time refers to everyday, normal circumstances — as opposed to wartime or emergencies. Contrast with 战时 (wartime).
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.'
时 — sun 日 + temple/measure 寺
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 日 (sun) gives the meaning of time or season, while 寺 (shí) supplies the sound. Early forms used 之 as the phonetic before 寺 replaced it. The core sense 'season, time, hour' has stayed stable since ancient Chinese.