hépíng
standard
In pinyin "peace" in Chinese is hépíng, written 和平 (hépíng). It stands for peace between people and countries, as in shìjiè hépíng, "world peace". It is also called píng'ān.
Meaning: absence of war, calm (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| hépíng | standard |
| píng'ān | safety, well being |
Hépíng is used for the opposite of war. A peace symbol such as the dove is called hépíng gē, written 和平鸽 (hépíng gē).
Which one should you use?
Píng'ān, written 平安 (píng'ān), means peace in the sense of safe and well. It is the word in wishes such as yílù píng'ān, "have a safe trip".
How do you pronounce it?
Both syllables of hépíng are rising, so it sounds like "huh-ping" with a lifting tone each time.
Did you know?
- The two characters of hépíng mean "harmony" and "level", which is how the idea of calm is built in Chinese.
Examples in context
- Wǒmen xīwàng shìjiè hépíng.We hope for world peace.
- Zhù nǐ yílù píng'ān.Wishing you a safe trip.
- Liǎng guó qiāndìng le hépíng xiéyì.The two countries signed a peace agreement.
Example conversation
Teacher Gao asks pupil Mei about a school poster on peace.
- GaoZhège hǎibào yǒu shénme?What is on this poster?
- MeiYǒu yì zhī bái gē, dàibiǎo hépíng.There is a white dove for peace.
- GaoDuì, hěn hǎo.Right, very good.
