稳

• Pinyin: wěn
• Hanzi breakdown: 稳 = 禾 (grain, phonetic/semantic component) + 㥁 (heart variant, suggesting calmness)

Meaning

Steady; stable; firm; calm and composed.

Describes something that is physically stable (not wobbling), or a person who is composed and reliable. Also used informally to mean 'solid' or 'a sure thing.' The single-character form is common in spoken language.

Examples

1. 把桌子放稳，别让它晃来晃去。 Put the table down steadily — don't let it wobble back and forth.
2. 他做事很稳，从来不慌不乱。 He handles things very steadily and never panics.
3. 这次考试你复习得这么认真，肯定稳了。 You've revised so thoroughly for this exam — it's definitely in the bag.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, personality, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 走山路的时候步子要稳。(When walking on mountain paths, your steps must be steady.)
• 他的心理素质很好，比赛时表现得非常稳。(His mental fortitude is excellent — he performed very steadily in the competition.)

Don't Say

• 经济很稳。(In formal writing, prefer 稳定 over 稳 alone, as 稳 by itself is more colloquial.)

Origin & History

稳 is composed of 禾 (grain) on top of 急 (anxious) with a heart radical, suggesting the composed calm of a harvest; modern form = 禾 + 㥁.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal