平民
píngmín · HSK 7
third estate
👥 平 (flat/common) + 民 (people) = the common people, ordinary folk
平 means flat or level, by extension ordinary or common; 民 means people or citizen. Together 平民 names the everyday person with no rank or title — a commoner, as opposed to nobility or officials.
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.'