安

• Pinyin: ān
• Hanzi breakdown: 安 = 宀 (roof) + 女 (woman), depicting a woman sheltered at home — symbolising peace and security

Meaning

To install; to fit (V); settled; at ease; peaceful (Adj). Used for physically fixing something in place, or to describe a calm, secure state.

As a verb, 安 means to install or mount something (e.g., 安灯 — install a light; 安门 — fit a door). As an adjective, it means settled, peaceful, or at ease. Commonly appears in compounds: 安全 (safe), 安排 (arrange), 安心 (feel at ease), 安静 (quiet).

Examples

1. 工人今天来给我们家安了一扇新门。 Workers came today to install a new door at our home.
2. 知道孩子平安到达后，她的心终于安了下来。 Once she knew the child had arrived safely, her heart finally settled.
3. 他在墙上安了一个书架，用来放常用的书。 He installed a bookshelf on the wall to hold the books he uses most often.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, home

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们请人在浴室安了一个热水器。(We had someone install a water heater in the bathroom.)
• 你放心，他现在一切都安好。(Don't worry — he is now safe and well.)

Don't Say

• 用'安'单独表示'安静'的意思 (Don't use 安 alone to mean 'quiet' — use 安静 instead)

Origin & History

安 is an ideograph showing a woman (女) under a roof (宀), suggesting a sense of peace and settledness within the home.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal