庸 meaning and stroke order
Usual, common, ordinary, mediocre
How to write 庸, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 11
Meaning of 庸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ordinary
- to use
How 庸 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
用 hints at the sound.
Radical: 广 (broad), shared by 60 characters on this site.
How to remember 庸
庸 is built from 广 (a roof or building) over 彐 (a hand) and 用 (yòng, to use), which also gives the sound. Picture a hand under a roof doing the same useful, everyday work, nothing special, just ordinary.
庸 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 平庸 (píngyōng, mediocre), 庸俗 (yōngsú, vulgar, tacky) and the Confucian idea 中庸 (zhōngyōng, the golden mean). Example: 这部电影很平庸。(Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn píngyōng.) This movie is very mediocre.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 庸 (yōng) with 康 (kāng, healthy), since both sit under 广. Look for 用 at the bottom of 庸. Also remember the tone is first tone yōng, not fourth tone like 用 (yòng).
Common words with 庸
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
庸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 庸
Learning 庸 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 庸
How many strokes are in 庸?
庸 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 庸 mean?
庸 (yōng) means usual, common, ordinary, mediocre. A common word with it is 庸俗 (yōngsú), meaning "vulgar; tacky".
How do you pronounce 庸?
庸 is pronounced yōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 庸?
The radical of 庸 is 广, which carries the idea of "broad". Dictionaries list 庸 under this radical.
Is 庸 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 庸 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 庸 a negative word?
Usually yes in modern use. 平庸 and 庸俗 both criticize something as mediocre or tasteless. The exception is 中庸, which in Confucian thought is a positive ideal of balance and moderation.
What does 庸 mean in classical Chinese?
Besides ordinary, 庸 can mean to use, close to 用. You will mostly see this sense in literary or classical texts, not in everyday speech.