安静 (ān jìng) — quiet; peaceful; calm | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

安静 describes a place or person that is 'quiet, calm' — no noise, no disturbance. For inner emotional calm, use 冷静 (cool-headed) or 平静 (tranquil).

adjective

quietpeacefulcalm

安静，。
Zhè lǐ hěn ān jìng, shì hé kàn shū.
It's very quiet here, suitable for reading.
安静，。
Qǐng dà jiā ān jìng yí xià, wǒ yào shàng kè le.
Please quiet down everyone, I'm about to start class.
安静。
Tā ān jìng dì zuò zài shā fā shàng.
He sat quietly on the sofa.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

安 and 静 both mean calm or quiet, so the word describes peacefulness.

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.

宀女安

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

女

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.

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 靜; 静 is its simplified writing.

青爭靜

The traditional form 靜, not the simplified 静, uses 青 and 爭 for sound; an old source also treats 青 (blue) as a meaning part.

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