平常 (píngcháng) – usually, ordinarily

Pattern

• Subject + 平常 + Verb phrase，（今天却……）
• 很 / 非常 + 平常（形容词）

Usage

• As a time noun it means “usually, in ordinary times” (like 平时), often contrasted with a special occasion; as an adjective it means “ordinary, nothing special”.

Examples

1. 1

   他平常总是来得很早，今天却迟到了。

   Tā píngcháng zǒngshì lái de hěn zǎo, jīntiān què chídào le.

   He usually arrives very early, but today he was late.

2. 2

   这种事在大城市里很平常。

   Zhè zhǒng shì zài dà chéngshì lǐ hěn píngcháng.

   This kind of thing is very common in big cities.