Quick answer: 安 (ān) means peaceful, safe, quiet or at ease. 平安 is safe and sound, 安全 is safety, 和平 usually means peace between groups or nations, and 平静 means calm.

安

Character guide

Chinese Symbol for Peace 安: Meaning, Name & Tattoo

安 (ān) is a clean, open character for peace, safety and calm. Compare it with 平安, 安全, 和平 and 平静 before choosing a permanent design.

Pinyin ānStrokes 6Meaning peaceful, safe, quietTraditional 安Radical 宀 40

What does 安 mean?

安 (ān) means peaceful, safe, quiet or at ease. Common words include 平安 (safe and sound), 安全 (safety), 安静 (quiet) and 安心 (to feel reassured). The character itself is broad, and the full phrase determines whether it reads as safety, calm, reassurance or peace.

安, 平安, 安全, 和平 and 平静

安 is the broad single character. 平安 commonly means safe and sound. 安全 refers to safety or being safe from danger. 和平 usually means peace between people, groups or nations. 平静 means calm or tranquil, often describing emotions or water. These words overlap but are not interchangeable in every sentence.

Is 安 used in Chinese names?

安 is used in names and can suggest peace, stability or security. In a personal name it still has to work with the surname and second given-name character. Compare related characters such as 宁 (níng, peace or calm), then check the full name with a fluent reader. A peaceful character does not guarantee a peaceful life.

Is 安 suitable for a tattoo?

Yes. With 6 strokes, it is open and holds detail at smaller sizes. It is a practical choice for a wrist, forearm, calf or smaller design, provided the line quality is clean and the placement is not overcrowded.

Design notes

ScriptRegular script keeps the roof and lower components balanced.

ScaleIts simple structure gives you flexibility, but avoid distorting the proportions.

MeaningPeace and safety are not guaranteed by wearing the character.

Common mistakes

Using 安 when the intended word is 平安, 安全 or 和平.
Making the design too decorative to verify.
Assuming the character specifies physical safety in every context.
Treating 安 and 宁 as exact synonyms in every name.

Chinese peace character questions

What does 安 mean in Chinese?

安 (ān) means peaceful, safe, quiet or at ease. Its exact sense depends on the complete word: 平安, 安全, 安静 and 安心 carry different nuances.

What is the difference between 安 and 和平?

安 is a broad character for peace, safety or calm. 和平 usually refers to peace between people, groups or nations and is not interchangeable in every sentence.

Is 安 used in Chinese names?

Yes. It can suggest peace, stability or security, but the surname, second character and complete sound still need checking with a fluent reader.

Is 安 a good tattoo character?

It is simple and readable, but the single character is broad. Compare 平安, 安全 or 和平 if you want a more specific meaning, and ask a fluent reader to review the final wording.

Related characters

Reference data

Character identity and the fields below are taken from the Unicode Unihan database (Unicode 18.0.0), the reference dataset published by the Unicode Consortium. Stroke counts follow the Unihan counting convention.

安U+5B89 · 6 strokes (Unihan kTotalStrokes) · radical 宀 40 · Mandarin ān · Cantonese on1 · “peaceful, tranquil, quiet”

Source: Unicode Unihan database, Unicode 18.0.0, generated 2026-09-25.

安 versus 平安 and 安全

安 means peaceful, calm, safe or at ease. 平安 is a common blessing for safety and well-being, while 安全 more directly means safety or security. 安静 means quiet. The single character is broad, so the surrounding phrase determines whether it points to safety, stillness or emotional calm.

Pronunciation and use

安 is pronounced ān. It is written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese. In a name or design, it can be paired with a second character to narrow the meaning, but the pairing should be checked for tone and natural usage.

What it does not guarantee

The character does not provide physical protection or guarantee a peaceful life. It expresses a value or a wish. A design should not be marketed as a safety charm or as a substitute for care and precautions.

Word comparison

Peace in Chinese: 安, 和平, 平安 and 安宁

Peace in Chinese depends on the kind of peace: 安 is calm and safety, 和平 is peace between people or nations, 平安 is being safe and sound, and 安静 is quiet. The table separates them so a design or wish says what it means. Peace written as an in romanised form points to 安.

Peace in Chinese: 安, 和平, 平安 and related words
Chinese	Pinyin	Core sense	Use and caution
安	ān	Peace, safety, calm	The single character for peace and safety; compact and common in names.
和平	hé píng	Peace (between people or nations)	Used for peace rather than conflict; not inner calm.
平安	píng ān	Safe and sound	A warm wish for safety; common in greetings and travel messages.
安宁	ān níng	Peaceful, tranquil	Describes a calm or undisturbed state; slightly formal.
安静	ān jìng	Quiet	About noise level, not peace in a wider sense.
安心	ān xīn	To feel reassured	Means a settled mind; it is a verb-like word, not a symbol.
安全	ān quán	Safety, secure	About protection from danger, not emotional peace.

The an in 安 is the single character for peace, safety or calm, while 和平 is peace between parties and 平安 is a wish for safety. If the intended meaning is quiet, use 安静; if it is safety from danger, use 安全. 安 expresses calm and safety, not a guarantee of peace or protection.

Questions about peace in Chinese

What is peace in Chinese?

Peace in Chinese is usually 安 (ān), meaning peace, safety or calm. For peace between people or nations, 和平 (hé píng) is clearer.

What does an mean in Chinese?

An is the romanisation of 安 (ān), meaning peaceful, safe or quiet. It appears in 平安 (safe and sound), 安宁 (tranquil) and 安静 (quiet).

What is the difference between 安, 和平, 平安 and 安静?

安 is calm and safety, 和平 is peace between people or nations, 平安 means safe and sound, and 安静 means quiet.

Is 安 suitable for a tattoo?

Yes. 安 has 6 strokes and stays readable at small sizes. It expresses calm or safety as a value, not a promise of peace or protection.

How many strokes does 安 have?

安 has 6 strokes and is written as 宀 (roof) over 女. It is the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.

What is the difference between 安 and 平安?

安 is the compact character for peace, safety and calm. 平安 means “safe and sound” and is the standard blessing for travel and daily well-being.

What does 安全 mean?

安全 means safety in the practical sense, as in 交通安全 (“traffic safety”). It is different from the abstract sense of peace.

How is 和平 different from 安?

和平 means peace in the sense of no war or conflict. 安 covers peace, safety and calm more broadly.

Does 安 provide protection?

No. As a design it expresses a wish or a value. It does not guarantee safety or peace and should not be treated as protection.

Using peace characters in a name

安, 宁 and 静 all relate to calm or stability, but they differ in tone, written balance and naming convention. Compare the peace direction before building a complete name.

Writing and usage

Writing 安: 6 strokes, 宀 over 女

安 has 6 strokes and is written as 宀 (the roof radical) over 女. The form is the same in simplified and traditional Chinese. The roof sits across the top, and 女 fills the space below; keep the roof line wide enough that the character does not look pinched. A common account reads the structure as a household at rest, giving 安 its sense of peace, safety and being settled — but the character’s meaning is best learned from its modern uses rather than from a single story about its parts.

安 in common words and greetings

安 forms 平安 (“safe and sound”), 安全 (“safety, safe”), 安静 (“quiet”), 安心 (“at ease, reassured”), 安宁 (“peace, tranquility”), 安装 (“to install”), 安排 (“to arrange”) and 安慰 (“to comfort”). It appears in the greetings 早安 (“good morning”), 午安 (“good afternoon/midday,” mostly written) and 晚安 (“good night”), and in the idiom 安居乐业 (“to live in peace and work contentedly”). Because it appears in so many everyday words, 安 often carries a sense of stability rather than only the abstract idea of peace.

安, 平安, 安全, 和平, 平静: comparison

These all touch on peace but divide the meaning. 安 is the compact character for peace, safety and calm. 平安 means safe and sound, and it is the standard blessing for travel and daily well-being. 安全 means safety in the practical sense, as in 交通安全 (“traffic safety”). 和平 means peace in the sense of no war or conflict. 平静 means calm or tranquil, often for water, emotions or a situation. A design that wants “peace” in the sense of calm may prefer 平静 or 宁静, while 和平 is a political peace.

Peace as a design and what it does not guarantee

安 is a compact single character and a common choice for tattoos, seals and logos. Alone it reads as peace, safety or calm; paired, it forms the many words above. As a design it expresses a wish or a value, but it does not guarantee safety, peace or a particular outcome, and it should not be presented as protection. For a permanent piece, confirm the exact form with a fluent reader, check that 安 has not been confused with similarly shaped characters, and test the drawing at the intended size so the roof and 女 both stay legible.

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