寧

Repose, serenity, and peace, encompassing both psychological tranquility and physical rest (sleep). In political or social contexts, it denotes stability—specifically the state of being "settled" or the absence of unrest. As a causative verb, it means to pacify, calm, or settle.

Functions as an adverb of preference meaning "would rather," "preferably," or "rather... than." This usage typically appears in contrastive structures (e.g., //níng [X] bù [Y]//).

While overlapping with 安 (//ān//), 寧 tends toward subjective tranquility, an internal state of mind, or a settled disposition; 安 generally leans toward objective security and the absence of external danger.

Tang-period reading: //neng neng//. Simplified variant: 宁 (U+5B81). Other orthographic variants include U+5BCD.