衡 means “balance, scale”

こう · kou

Also: equilibrium, measuring rod

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 16 strokes

The story

行, a crossroads, split open to make room for something big (大) in the middle: picture a great balance set up in a market street, a weight on either side. 均衡 is equilibrium, 平衡感覚 your sense of balance, and 度量衡 weights and measures.

Used in 均衡 (kinkou, balance/equilibrium), 平衡 (heikou, balance), and 度量衡 (doryoukou, weights and measures)

More from Order & Rank

• 逓 relay
• 逐 pursue
• 頓 tidy
• 汰 weed out
• 率 rate
• 整 arrange
• 級 grade
• 序 order
• 斉 all together
• 秩 order

Learn 衡 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.