保安
bǎo ān · HSK 3
security guard
🛡️ 保 = protect + 安 = peace/safety; 'protect peace' = security
保 (bǎo) means to protect or guarantee; 安 (ān) means peace or safety. Together they form 'protect-peace' — the job of a security guard, or the act of ensuring safety.
保 — person 亻 + 呆 (child/protect phonetic)
Originally an ideograph showing an adult carrying a child on the back, meaning to protect or shield. The right side 呆 evolved from a depiction of a swaddled infant. Over time the meaning broadened from 'protect a child' to 'preserve, guarantee, keep safe.'
安 — roof 宀 + woman 女
A pictographic compound showing a woman 女 under a roof 宀, suggesting safety and tranquility at home. The original meaning 'peaceful, calm, safe' has remained stable since oracle bone script. It later extended to verbs like 'to settle' or 'to install'.