1.
norm; usual state; what is ordinary
What is normal, customary, or to be expected. Often appears in set patterns describing how things typically are, or as 常に (always) adverbially.
世の常だ。
That's the way of the world.
失敗は若者の常だ。
Failure is to be expected from young people.
彼は常に冷静でいるよう心がけている。
He always tries to stay calm.
A somewhat literary noun. Most common as part of fixed patterns: 〜の常 (the way of ~), 常に (always), or 常々 (regularly, all the time).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 世の常: the way of the world
- ~の常: typical of, what's normal for ~
- 常に: always (adverbial)
- 常日頃: regularly; in everyday life
SIMILAR WORDS:
- いつも: always — everyday, conversational
- 普段: usually; in ordinary times — concrete daily routine
- 常に: always — formal, written; same kanji used adverbially