平平安安 (píng píng ān ān) — safe and sound; peaceful; without mishap

Definition

A fixed reduplicated phrase meaning 'safe and sound, without mishap' — used as a warm wish (e.g. 一路平安 style blessings) for a journey, life, or family, not a neutral state description.

bound form

safe and soundpeacefulwithout mishap

Examples

平平安安。
Wǒ zhù nǐ yí bèi zi píng píng ān ān.
I wish you a lifetime of peace and safety.
平平安安。
Xī wàng nǐ men zhè cì lǚ xíng píng píng ān ān.
Hope your trip this time is safe and smooth.
平平安安。
Quán jiā rén píng píng ān ān jiù shì zuì dà de xìng fú.
Having the whole family safe and sound is the greatest happiness.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

平平

平píngpeaceful平píngpeaceful

安安

安ānsafe安ānsafe

平 and 安 are repeated to intensify peaceful and safe, giving safe and sound.

Characters in this word

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

八八bādivision
亏亏kuīexhaled air

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

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

八八bādivision
亏亏kuīexhaled air

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.

宀女安

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.

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