<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>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 pretty different grammatical uses.</p> <h2 id="平常-is-used-as-noun">平常 is used as noun</h2> <p>平常 can be used as a noun. It means "in ordinary times:, as in "ordinary times I usually meet with my friends after school."</p> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 平常 + Verb</p> </div> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我 <em>平常</em> 不 和 朋友 见面。<span class="trans">I ordinarily don't meet friends.</span></li> <li>你 <em>平常</em> 用 QQ 聊天 吗？<span class="trans">Do you usually use QQ to chat?</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="平时-is-used-as-noun">平时 is used as noun</h2> <p>When 平时 is used as a noun it is the same as 平常 when it is used as a noun.</p> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + 平时 + Verb</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>我们 <em>平时</em> 都 不 在 家 吃饭，我们 在 外面 吃。<span class="trans">Most of the time, we don't eat in the house. We go out to eat.</span></li> <li>你 <em>平时</em> 会 看 新闻 吗？<span class="trans">Will you watch the news often?</span></li> <li>我 <em>平时</em> 不 买 这 种 很 便宜 但是 质量 很 差 的 东西。<span class="trans">I don't usually buy this kind of cheap, inferior stuff.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="平常-as-an-adjective">平常 as an Adjective</h2> <p>When 平常 is used as an adjective, it expresses the meaning of "common." 平时 cannot be used this way.</p> <h3 id="structure-2">Structure</h3> <div class="jiegou"> <p>平常的 + Noun</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-2">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>他 有 一 份 很 <em>平常</em> 的 工作，过 着 很 平常 的 生活。<span class="trans">He has a common job and lives a common lifestyle.</span></li> <li>这 是 一 种 很 <em>平常</em> 的 玻璃，不 是 什么 钻石。<span class="trans">This is just common glass. It's not a diamond.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="example-dialog">Example dialog</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>A: 你 <em>平时</em>/<em>平常</em> 喜欢 研究 玉 对 吗？<span class= "trans">You often like to study jade, right?</span></li> <li>B: 对 啊。<span class="trans">Correct.</span></li> <li>A: 你 帮 我 看 一下 这 块 玉 怎么 样？<span class="trans">Could you tell me about this piece of jade?</span></li> <li>B: 是 一 块 很 <em>平常</em> 的 玉。<span class="trans">It's a common piece of jade.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href= "%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D%EF%BC%88%E5%A2%9E%E8%AE%A2%E6%9C%AC%EF%BC%89" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语八百词（增订本）</a> (“平常”p. 1051) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D%EF%BC%88%E5%A2%9E%E8%AE%A2%E6%9C%AC%EF%BC%89" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语八百词（增订本）</a> (“平时”p. 1053) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1"> →buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:grammar_comparison" title= "wikilink">Category:grammar comparison</a></p> </body> </html>