安稳
ān wěn · HSK 7
smooth and steady
⚓ AN anchor keeps things WEN-dingly stable — smooth and steady
安 means peaceful/safe, 稳 means stable/firm. Together they describe something running without bumps or wobbles, like a well-anchored ship in calm waters.
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'.
稳 — grain 禾 + claw 爫 + work 工 + heart 心 (爫+工+心 = 急/隐 phonetic 㥯)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The grain radical 禾 on the left suggests grain being steady and balanced on a scale, while the right side 㥯 (claw over work over heart) supplies the sound. Originally written 穩, it conveyed the idea of grain settled firmly, extended to mean 'stable, steady, calm.'