稳妥
wěn tuǒ · HSK 7
dependable
⚓ 稳 steady + 妥 settled = something steady and settled, so dependable
稳 means steady or stable; 妥 means proper or settled. A thing that is both steady and properly settled is one you can rely on, hence dependable. The wěn tuǒ sound pairs a firm wen with a soft tuo, both falling-then-rising tones.
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.'
妥 — claw 爫 on top + woman 女 below
妥 depicts a hand (爫) resting on a woman (女), originally suggesting calming or settling someone down. From this came the meanings 'peaceful,' 'secure,' and 'appropriate.' Today it mainly means 'proper' or 'satisfactory,' as in 妥当 (proper) and 妥协 (compromise).