平安无事 (píng ān wú shì) — (idiom) all is well, without incident, safe and sound

Definition

An idiom meaning 'safe and sound, without incident' — often used to close a letter or send someone off, wishing the whole journey was uneventful.

idiom
all is wellwithout incidentsafe and sound

Examples

  • 平安无事
    Dà jiā dōu píng ān wú shì.
    Everybody is safe and sound.
  • 平安无事
    Tā ān quán dào dá le, zhēn shì píng ān wú shì.
    He arrived safely — truly all is well.
  • 平安无事
    Zhù nǐ men yí lù píng ān wú shì.
    Wishing you a safe and uneventful journey.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

平安peace and safety
píngsafeānpeaceful
联合Coordinate
无事no trouble
withoutshìmatter
动宾Verb + object

平安 gives peace and safety, and 无事 adds that there is no trouble.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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
mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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