Difference between revisions of "Comparing "pingshi" and "pingchang""

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*你 <em>平常</em> 会 健身 吗 ?<span class="trans">Do you usually work out?</span>
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*你 <em>平常</em> 会 健身 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>píngcháng</em> huì jiànshēn ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you usually work out?</span>
*我 <em>平常</em> 不 吃 零食 。<span class="trans">I usually don't eat snacks.</span>
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*我 <em>平常</em> 不 吃 零食 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>píngcháng</em> bù chī língshí.</span><span class="trans">I usually don't eat snacks.</span>
*你 <em>平时</em> 看 新闻 吗 ?<span class="trans">Do you watch the news often?</span>
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*你 <em>平时</em> 看 新闻 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>píngshí</em> kàn xīnwén ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you watch the news often?</span>
*她 <em>平时</em> 不 买 奢侈 品 。<span class="trans">She usually doesn't buy luxuries.</span>
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*她 <em>平时</em> 不 买 奢侈 品 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>píngshí</em> bú mǎi shēchǐ pǐn.</span><span class="trans">She usually doesn't buy luxuries.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 00:55, 18 July 2020

平时 (píngshí) and 平常 (píngcháng) look very similar (after all, they do start with 平!), and they have similar meanings of "often," but they have different grammatical uses.

Used as an Adverb

Both 平时 and 平常 can be used as an adverb. They are interchangeable in this case.

Structure

Subj. + 平常 + Verb

Examples

  • 平常 会 健身 吗 ?píngcháng huì jiànshēn ma?Do you usually work out?
  • 平常 不 吃 零食 。píngcháng bù chī língshí.I usually don't eat snacks.
  • 平时 看 新闻 吗 ?píngshí kàn xīnwén ma?Do you watch the news often?
  • 平时 不 买 奢侈 品 。píngshí bú mǎi shēchǐ pǐn.She usually doesn't buy luxuries.

平常 as an Adjective

When 平常 is used as an adjective, it expresses the meaning of "common." 平时 cannot be used this way.

Structure

Subj. + 很 + 平常

平常 + 的 + Noun

Examples

  • 清洁工 的 工作 很 平常 ,但是 也 很 重要 。The street cleaners are ordinary, but they are also very important.
  • 这 种 事 很 平常This kinda things are common.
  • 对 中国 来说 ,2008 年 是 很 不 平常 的 一 年 。To China, the year 2008 is not an ordinary year.
  • 在 中国 ,去 酒吧 是 不 是 很 平常 的 娱乐活动 ?Is it a common entertainment to go to bar in China?

An example dialog:

  • A: 你 平时 / 平常 做饭 吗 ?Do you often cook?
  • B: 对的 。Correct.
  • A: 你 会 做 什么 菜 ?What can you cook?
  • B: 都是 很 平常 的 菜 。Just those ordinary ones.

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK5