the Confucian doctrine of the mean; mediocrity
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
the doctrine of the mean; the golden mean; moderation
formalA core Confucian virtue advocating for balance, harmony, and avoidance of extremes in thought and conduct.
Zhōng中
yōng庸
zhī之
dào道
shì是
rú儒
jiā家
sī思
xiǎng想
de的
hé核
xīn心
zhī之
yī一
。
The doctrine of the mean is one of the core tenets of Confucianism.
Tā他
chǔ处
lǐ理
wèn问
tí题
zǒng总
shì是
bǐng秉
chí持
zhōng中
yōng庸
de的
yuán原
zé则
。
He always adheres to the principle of the golden mean when dealing with problems.
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Fán凡
shì事
guò过
yóu犹
bù不
jí及
，
yīng应
qǔ取
zhōng中
yōng庸
de的
tài态
dù度
。
In all matters, going too far is as bad as not going far enough; one should adopt a moderate attitude.
adjective
mediocre; of ordinary talent and virtue
literaryUsed in classical/literary contexts to describe a person's abilities or character as average, neither outstanding nor deficient.
Tā他
zì自
rèn认
zhǐ只
shì是
zhōng中
yōng庸
zhī之
cái才
，
bù不
gǎn敢
dān担
dāng当
dà大
rèn任
。
He considers himself a person of only mediocre talent and dares not take on major responsibilities.
Zhè这
běn本
xiǎo小
shuō说
wén文
bǐ笔
zhōng中
yōng庸
，
bìng并
wú无
tè特
bié别
chū出
cǎi彩
zhī之
chù处
。
The prose of this novel is mediocre, with nothing particularly outstanding.