不安全
bù ān quán
In Chinese, the word for insecure is 不安全 (bù ān quán).
不安全 is used to describe things that are unsafe or lack physical security, such as an unsafe neighborhood or an insecure computing connection.
Meaning: not comfortable in certain situations (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 不 (not) and 安全 (safe/secure).
Which one should you use?
While 不安全 refers to physical safety or a lack of security, 缺乏安全感 is used to describe a person's psychological state of feeling insecure or anxious. For a lack of self-confidence, you may also use 不自信.
How do you pronounce it?
bù ān quán
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 不安全 to describe a person's emotional insecurity. Instead, use 缺乏安全感 to naturally describe someone's feeling of emotional insecurity.
Did you know?
- The character 安 in 安全 originally depicted a 'woman' under a 'roof', symbolizing the quintessential concept of safety and stability.
- In modern Chinese internet slang, people often talk about their 安全感 in the context of romantic relationships. A partner provides 'security' not through protection from danger, but through constant communication and transparency.
- The word 安全 (safe) is composed of 安 (peaceful/calm) and 全 (complete/whole). Together, they imply a state of being 'completely at peace'.
Examples in context
- 他觉得工作不稳定，所以感到不安。He feels insecure about his job because it lacks stability.
- 她的不信任使我缺乏安全感。Her lack of trust makes me feel insecure.
- 我觉得自己不够漂亮，所以经常感到不自信。I don't think I'm pretty enough, so I often feel insecure.
- 这个地方人多又乱，所以感觉很不安全。This place is crowded and chaotic, so it feels very insecure.
- 我在这个新团队中感到有些自卑。I feel somewhat insecure within this new team.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their feelings at work.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，你最近压力很大吗？Jùnjié, nǐ zuìjìn yālì hěn dà ma?Junjie, have you been under a lot of pressure lately?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，我觉得在这里很不安全。Shì de, wǒ juéde zài zhèlǐ hěn bù ānquán.Yes, I feel very insecure here.
- 雨婷 Yuting为什么会这么想？Wèishéme huì zhème xiǎng?Why do you think that?
- 俊杰 Junjie我觉得我的能力不够。Wǒ juéde wǒ de nénglì búgòu.I feel like my abilities aren't enough.
