B1 adjective Neutral

평범하다

pjʌŋbʌmɦada

Not different or special; ordinary. Used to describe a typical day or a normal background in IELTS Speaking.

Examples

3 of 5
1

주말에 그냥 평범하게 집에서 쉬었어요.

I just rested at home ordinarily over the weekend.

2

그 영화의 줄거리는 다소 평범한 편입니다.

The plot of that movie is somewhat ordinary.

3

난 그냥 평범한 게 좋아.

I just like being ordinary.

Word Family

Noun
평범
Adverb
평범하게
Adjective
평범하다
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Memory Tip

Pyeong (Flat) + Beom (Common). Flat and common like a plain field.

Quick Quiz

그는 화려한 삶보다는 ___ 삶을 원했다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 평범한

Examples

1

주말에 그냥 평범하게 집에서 쉬었어요.

everyday

I just rested at home ordinarily over the weekend.

2

그 영화의 줄거리는 다소 평범한 편입니다.

formal

The plot of that movie is somewhat ordinary.

3

난 그냥 평범한 게 좋아.

informal

I just like being ordinary.

4

이 수치는 평범한 수준을 벗어나지 않는다.

academic

This figure does not deviate from the ordinary level.

5

평범한 디자인보다는 독특한 것을 선호합니다.

business

I prefer unique designs over ordinary ones.

Word Family

Noun
평범
Adverb
평범하게
Adjective
평범하다

Common Collocations

평범한 삶 ordinary life
평범한 외모 ordinary appearance
평범한 가정 ordinary family
지극히 평범하다 to be extremely ordinary
평범한 사람 ordinary person

Common Phrases

평범의 진리

truth in the ordinary

평범함을 거부하다

to reject ordinariness

평범한 일상

ordinary daily life

Often Confused With

평범하다 vs 일반적이다

Ilbanjeogida is 'general/common' (factual), while Pyeongbeomhada is 'ordinary/plain' (descriptive).

📝

Usage Notes

Can sometimes carry a nuance of being 'boring' depending on the context.

⚠️

Common Mistakes

Avoid using this to mean 'average' in a statistical sense; use 'pyeonggyun' instead.

💡

Memory Tip

Pyeong (Flat) + Beom (Common). Flat and common like a plain field.

📖

Word Origin

From Sino-Korean 平凡 (pyeong-beom), meaning level and ordinary.

Grammar Patterns

평범한 + Noun 평범하게 살다
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Cultural Context

In Korea, the concept of 'so-hwak-haeng' (small but certain happiness) often celebrates a 'pyeongbeom' life.

Quick Quiz

그는 화려한 삶보다는 ___ 삶을 원했다.

Correct!

The correct answer is: 평범한

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