中庸

Chinese

		middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing something); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	ordinary; to use
trad. (中庸)		中	庸
simp. ^#(中庸)		中	庸

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zhōngyōng

(Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥㄩㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zung¹ jung⁴
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chûng-yûng
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tiong-iông

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhōngyōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥㄩㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhongyong
  - Wade–Giles: chung¹-yung¹
  - Yale: jūng-yūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jongiong
  - Palladius: чжунъюн (čžunʺjun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ jʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zung¹ jung⁴
  - Yale: jūng yùhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzung¹ jung⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: zung¹ yung⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jʊŋ²¹/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chûng-yûng
  - Hakka Romanization System: zung^ˊ iung^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zung¹ yung¹
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡suŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ i̯uŋ²⁴/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chûng-yûng
  - Hakka Romanization System: zung^ˊ (r)iung^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zung¹ yung¹
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡suŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ (j)i̯uŋ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiong-iông
  - Tâi-lô: tiong-iông
  - Phofsit Daibuun: diong'ioong
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² iɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /tiɔŋ³³ iɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² iɔŋ¹³/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ iɔŋ²⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ iɔŋ²³/

Middle Chinese: trjuwng yowng

Rime
Character	中	庸
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	知 (9)	以 (36)
Final (韻)	東 (2)	鍾 (7)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	陟弓切	餘封切
Baxter	trjuwng	yowng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈɨuŋ/	/jɨoŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈiuŋ/	/jioŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiuŋ/	/ioŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈuwŋ/	/juawŋ/
Li Rong	/ȶiuŋ/	/ioŋ/
Wang Li	/ȶĭuŋ/	/jĭwoŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȶi̯uŋ/	/i̯woŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhōng	yóng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zung¹	jung⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*truŋ loŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*tuŋ loŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	中	庸
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhōng	yōng
Middle Chinese	‹ trjuwng ›	‹ yowng ›
Old Chinese	/*truŋ/	/*loŋ/
English	center	use; advantage
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	中	庸
Reading #	1/2	1/1
No.	17407	15459
Phonetic component	中	用
Rime group	終	東
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	中	容
Old Chinese	/*tuŋ/	/*loŋ/

Proper noun

中庸

the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books (四書／四书 (Sìshū)) of Confucianism)

Coordinate terms

四書五經／四书五经 (Sìshūwǔjīng, “Four Books and Five Classics”)

四書／四书 (Sìshū, “Four Books”)

大學／大学 (Dàxué, “Great Learning”)
中庸 (Zhōngyōng, “Doctrine of the Mean”)
論語／论语 (Lúnyǔ, “Analects”)
孟子 (Mèngzǐ, “Mencius”)

五經／五经 (Wǔjīng, “Five Classics”)

詩經／诗经 (Shījīng, “Classic of Poetry”)
書經／书经 (Shūjīng, “Book of Documents”)
禮記／礼记 (Lǐjì, “Book of Rites”)
易經／易经 (Yìjīng, “I Ching”)
春秋 (Chūnqiū, “Spring and Autumn Annals”)

Noun

中庸

moderation; neutrality; middle way; middle path; golden mean

Derived terms

中庸之道 (zhōngyōng zhī dào)

Adjective

中庸

moderate (of virtuousness and ability)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (中庸):

→ Japanese: 中(ちゅう)庸(よう) (chūyō)
→ Korean: 중용(中庸) (jung'yong)
→ Vietnamese: Trung Dung (中庸)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
中	庸
ちゅう Grade: 1	よう Grade: S
on'yomi

Adjective

中(ちゅう)庸(よう) • (chūyō) -na (adnominal 中(ちゅう)庸(よう)な (chūyō na), adverbial 中(ちゅう)庸(よう)に (chūyō ni))

moderate; neutral

Inflection

Inflection of 中庸
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	中庸だろ	ちゅうようだろ	chūyō daro
Continuative (連用形)	中庸で	ちゅうようで	chūyō de
Terminal (終止形)	中庸だ	ちゅうようだ	chūyō da
Attributive (連体形)	中庸な	ちゅうような	chūyō na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	中庸なら	ちゅうようなら	chūyō nara
Imperative (命令形)	中庸であれ	ちゅうようであれ	chūyō de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	中庸ではない中庸じゃない	ちゅうようではないちゅうようじゃない	chūyō de wa nai chūyō ja nai
Informal past	中庸だった	ちゅうようだった	chūyō datta
Informal negative past	中庸ではなかった中庸じゃなかった	ちゅうようではなかったちゅうようじゃなかった	chūyō de wa nakatta chūyō ja nakatta
Formal	中庸です	ちゅうようです	chūyō desu
Formal negative	中庸ではありません中庸じゃありません	ちゅうようではありませんちゅうようじゃありません	chūyō de wa arimasen chūyō ja arimasen
Formal past	中庸でした	ちゅうようでした	chūyō deshita
Formal negative past	中庸ではありませんでした中庸じゃありませんでした	ちゅうようではありませんでしたちゅうようじゃありませんでした	chūyō de wa arimasen deshita chūyō ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	中庸で	ちゅうようで	chūyō de
Conditional	中庸なら（ば）	ちゅうようなら（ば）	chūyō nara (ba)
Provisional	中庸だったら	ちゅうようだったら	chūyō dattara
Volitional	中庸だろう	ちゅうようだろう	chūyō darō
Adverbial	中庸に	ちゅうように	chūyō ni
Degree	中庸さ	ちゅうようさ	chūyōsa

Antonyms

両(りょう)極(きょく)端(たん) (ryōkyokutan, “both extreme”)

Related terms

中(ちゅう)間(かん) (chūkan, “middle”)

Noun

中(ちゅう)庸(よう) • (chūyō)

moderation; neutrality; middle way; middle path
(philosophy) golden mean

Proper noun

中(ちゅう)庸(よう) • (Chūyō)

the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books (四(し)書(しょ) (shisho)) of Confucianism)

Coordinate terms

四(し)書(しょ)五(ご)経(きょう) (Shisho Gokyō, “Four Books and Five Classics”)

四(し)書(しょ) (Shisho, “Four Books”)

大(だい)学(がく) (Daigaku, “Great Learning”)
中(ちゅう)庸(よう) (Chūyō, “Doctrine of the Mean”)
論(ろん)語(ご) (Rongo, “Analects”)
孟(もう)子(し) (Mōshi, “Mencius”)

五(ご)経(きょう) (Gokyō, “Five Classics”)

詩(しき)経(ょう) (Shikyō, “Classic of Poetry”)
書(しょ)経(きょう) (Shokyō, “Book of Documents”)
礼(らい)記(き) (Raiki, “Book of Rites”)
易(えき)経(きょう) (Ekikyō, “I Ching”)
春(しゅん)秋(じゅう) (Shunjū, “Spring and Autumn Annals”)

References

“中庸”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
中	庸

Noun

中庸 • (jung'yong) (hangeul 중용)

hanja form^? of 중용 (“(philosophy) golden mean”)

Proper noun

中庸 • (Jung'yong) (hangeul 중용)

hanja form^? of 중용 (“the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books (사서 (saseo)) of Confucianism)”)

Coordinate terms

사서오경 (四書五經, Saseoogyeong, “Four Books and Five Classics”)

사서 (四書, Saseo, “Four Books”)

대학 (大學, Daehak, “Great Learning”)
중용 (中庸, Jung'yong, “Doctrine of the Mean”)
논어 (論語, Noneo, “Analects”)
맹자 (孟子, Maengja, “Mencius”)

오경 (五經, Ogyeong, “Five Classics”)

시경 (詩經, Sigyeong, “Classic of Poetry”)
서경 (書經, Seogyeong, “Book of Documents”)
예기 (禮記, Yegi, “Book of Rites”)
역경 (易經, Yeokgyeong, “I Ching”)
춘추 (春秋, Chunchu, “Spring and Autumn Annals”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
中	庸

Proper noun

中庸

chữ Hán form of Trung Dung (“the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books of Confucianism)”)

Coordinate terms

Tứ thư Ngũ kinh (四書五經, “Four Books and Five Classics”)

Tứ thư (四書, “Four Books”)

Đại Học (大學, “Great Learning”)
Trung Dung (中庸, “Doctrine of the Mean”)
Luận Ngữ (論語, “Analects”)
Mạnh Tử (孟子, “Mencius”)

Ngũ kinh (五經, “Five Classics”)

Kinh Thi (經詩, “Classic of Poetry”)
Kinh Thư (經書, “Book of Documents”)
Kinh Lễ (經禮, “Book of Rites”)
Kinh Dịch (經易, “I Ching”)
Kinh Xuân Thu (經春秋, “Spring and Autumn Annals”)