平日
へいじつ · heijitsu · JLPT N2 · adverb
weekday
📅 平 = ordinary/flat + 日 = day: an ordinary day, so a weekday (へいじつ)
平 means flat or ordinary, and 日 means day. Weekdays are the ordinary working days, as opposed to special holidays like 祝日.
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.'
日 — pictograph of the sun
日 is a pictograph of the sun, originally drawn as a circle with a dot or stroke inside representing the sun's substance. Over time the round shape was squared off into the modern rectangular form. It means 'sun' and by extension 'day'.