转危为安 (zhuǎn wēi wéi ān) — to turn danger into safety; to pull through a crisis

Definition

Chengyu meaning to turn a dangerous situation into a safe one — to pull through a crisis. Used for people, companies, or countries recovering from peril.

idiom
to turn danger into safetyto pull through a crisis

Examples

  • ，转危为安。
    Jīng guò yī shēng de quán lì qiǎng jiù, bìng rén zhōng yú zhuǎn wēi wéi ān.
    After the doctors' full efforts, the patient finally pulled through.
  • ，转危为安。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī miàn lín pò chǎn, dàn xīn tóu zī ràng tā zhuǎn wēi wéi ān.
    This company faced bankruptcy, but new investment turned the situation around.
  • ，，转危为安。
    Zài wēi jī shí kè, tā guǒ duàn jué cè, shǐ guó jiā zhuǎn wēi wéi ān.
    At the critical moment, he made decisive choices that brought the country out of danger.

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.

转危turn danger
转zhuǎnturn危wēidanger
动宾Verb + object
为安become safety
为wèibecome安ānsafety
动宾Verb + object

转危 (turning danger) and 为安 (becoming safety) together mean pulling through a crisis.

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 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān轉zhuǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Open 转 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

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 →

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