安静
ānjìng · HSK 2
quiesce
🤫 安静 = 安 (peace, woman 女 under roof 宀) + 静 (quiet, still)
安 shows a woman 女 sheltered under a roof 宀 — safe, settled. 静 pairs 青 (qīng, also gives the sound jìng) with 争 (contend), flipped to mean stillness. Together: peaceful + still = quiet.
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'.
静 — 青 (blue/green) + 争 (contend/strive)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 争 ('contend') originally suggested calming a dispute, while 青 lent the sound and a sense of clarity. Together they convey stillness after strife has settled, giving the modern meaning 'quiet, calm, still.'