Meaning of 不安
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unpeaceful
- unstable
- uneasy
- disturbed
- restless
- worried
How to use 不安
不安 describes a restless or worried feeling, and it can also describe an unstable situation. It often appears after 感到 (gǎndào) or 心里 (xīnli). Example: 他心里很不安。(Tā xīnli hěn bù'ān.) He feels very uneasy.
不 (bù) means "not" and 安 (ān) means "peaceful" or "safe", so 不安 is simply "not at peace". Picture 安 as a woman (女) calm under a roof (宀), then imagine that calm being taken away.
Common mistake: Learners often say bú'ān with a second tone on 不, but 不 only changes to bú before a fourth tone, and 安 is first tone, so it stays bù'ān. Also, 不安 is not the same as 不安全 (bù ānquán), which means "unsafe".
不安 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
安 ān · calm · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 不安.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; secure; safety; security |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
Questions about 不安
What does 不安 mean?
不安 (bù'ān) means "unpeaceful; unstable" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 不安?
不安 is made of 2 characters: 不 (4 strokes), 安 (6 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 不安 an HSK word?
Yes. 不安 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 不安 and 担心?
担心 (dānxīn) is a verb meaning "to worry about" something specific, as in 我担心你 (I worry about you). 不安 is an adjective for a general uneasy or restless state, and it sounds a bit more formal.
Can 不安 describe a place or a situation, not just a person?
Yes. It can describe instability, as in 局势不安 (júshì bù'ān), meaning the situation is unstable. In everyday speech, though, it is most often used for feelings.