The word 平常 is formed by combining two characters that each contribute a layer of meaning to create a unified concept. The first character, 平, conveys a sense of being level, even, or ordinary. The second, 常, signifies what is constant, regular, or common. When placed together, they conceptually merge to depict the state of things as they routinely and uneventfully are, the ordinary regularity of daily life, or that which is normal and commonplace.