动荡不安 (dòng dàng bù ān) — (noun) major social or political upheaval, turmoil and unrest

Definition

An idiom for extended chaos — political, social, or economic upheaval, not a single event. Stresses ongoing instability, stronger than 混乱 ('disorder').

noun
major social or political upheaval, turmoil and unrest

Examples

  • 动荡不安，。
    Nà ge guó jiā lián xù jǐ nián dòng dàng bù ān, bǎi xìng shēng huó fēi cháng jiān nán.
    That country was in turmoil for years, and the people's lives were very hard.
  • 动荡不安。
    dòng dàng bù ān De jīng jì xíng shì ràng tóu zī zhě bù gǎn qīng yì chū shǒu.
    The turbulent economic situation makes investors hesitant to act.
  • 动荡不安，。
    Lì shǐ shàng měi yí cì dòng dàng bù ān zhī hòu, dōu huì yíng lái xīn de zhì xù.
    After every period of upheaval in history, a new order emerges.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

动荡
动dòngmove荡dàngsway
联合Side by side
不安
不bùnot安ānpeaceful
偏正Modifier + head

动荡 (turbulent movement) and 不安 (not peaceful) together describe unsettled turmoil.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蕩; 荡 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 荡 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蕩; in others it is 盪.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
湯
湯tāng蕩dàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

About the traditional form 蕩: it is made of 艹 (grass, written fully as 艸) and 湯, which gives the sound. The simplified 荡 is only a later shorthand.

Open 荡 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.