安全
ānquán · HSK 2
safe
🛡️ 安 = roof over 女 (woman) = peace at home; 全 = whole/intact
安 pictographically shows a woman under a roof, meaning peaceful or settled. 全 means complete or whole. Together 安全 = peaceful and intact = safe and secure.
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'.
全 — enter 入 on top + jade 玉
Originally written as 入 (enter) over 玉 (jade), depicting a complete, unflawed piece of jade kept in storage. From this image of a perfect jade came the meanings 'whole,' 'complete,' and 'entire.' The top component is sometimes written as 人.