How to Write 庸 (yōng) — Meaning “mediocre or ordinary”

Imagine a 'roof' (广) over a person who is too 'ordinary' to do anything special—they just 'use' (用) things as they are. The word 'yōng' sounds like 'yawn'—mediocre things make you yawn from boredom.

Start with the radical 广: a dot then left-falling stroke, then horizontal line. The middle part 用 has a central vertical stroke that should not touch the top horizontal—keep it short. The bottom two strokes (horizontal and vertical) complete the frame symmetrically; avoid making the 用 too wide.

While 庸 and 庠 both contain 广, 庠 has 羊 (sheep) inside and means 'school' or 'nurture'—a positive place. 庸 has 用 (use) inside, suggesting 'common use' or 'mediocrity'. 㢆 is rare and often confused in ancient texts, but modern usage focuses on 庸's distinct inner structure.

庸 appears in words like 平庸 (píng yōng, mediocre) to describe average or uninspired people or things, often with a slightly negative tone. It is also key in 中庸 (zhōng yōng), the Confucian Doctrine of the Mean, which values balance and ordinary virtue—showing the character can imply positive moderation, not just dullness.

Common words containing 庸 include: 平庸 (píng yōng) — Mediocre; 庸医 (yōng yī) — quack doctor; 中庸 (zhōng yōng) — The Golden Mean; Doctrine of the Mean.