寧 (níng) - Peaceful, tranquil, serene & to prefer, would rather

寧Tone 2

níng ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

寧 · níng

Peaceful, tranquil, serene;

to prefer, would rather;

used in place names like Ningxia and Nanjing.

Peaceful, tranquil, sereneto prefer, would ratherused in place names like Ningxia and Nanjing.

Usage highlights

PeacefulWould ratherNanjing cityNingxia regionSereneTo pacify

Synonyms

  • 安— peace, calm
  • 静— quiet, still
  • 平— peaceful, level

Antonyms

  • 乱— chaos, disorder
  • 扰— disturb, harass

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I hope for a peaceful life (安宁的生活).
  • I would rather stay home (我宁愿待在家里).
  • Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu province (南京).
  • The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (宁夏回族自治区).

Collocations

  • Peaceful(安宁)
  • Would rather(宁愿)
  • Nanjing city(南京)
  • Ningxia region(宁夏)
  • Serene(宁静)
  • To pacify(宁靖)

Idioms

  • Better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole tile(宁为玉碎，不为瓦全)
  • Would rather lack than have to excess(宁缺毋滥)
  • Peace and tranquility for ten thousand generations(万世宁靖)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in imperial era place names, conveying aspirations for stability and peace.
  • The character embodies a Confucian ideal of inner tranquility and moral preference.
  • Commonly used in given names to express wishes for a calm and virtuous life.

FAQ