meaning for this symbol?

[garyg]

hi guys, I'm here to see if anyone can help me out by giving me some information on this symbol? as i would prefer who know the language have to say about it rather than trust one description on the internet, (please excuse any ignorance on my part regarding the specific language/origin of this symbol, as I have no knowledge whatsoever on it)

Thanks,

Gary

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3018/symbolig.jpg

[chrix]

安 ān in Mandarin Chinese, and an in Japanese (can also be read yasu(i)). The meaning is "peaceful, quiet", in Japanese it can additionally also mean "cheap".

[skylee]

It is also a surname, and is also common in given names. There is a panda called 安安 in Hong Kong.

[garyg]

ok, thanks guys, seems the info i found online was right, i just wanted a second opinion, since anyone could have made up the meaning of it where i had initally seen it and wanted confirmation. the info i had found was that it was a kinda vague symbol, to mean things like 'peace', 'calm', 'tranquility', and the one i liked, 'contentment'. seems this info was correct from what you guys say? thanks again

[renzhe]

It's not a vague symbol, it's a word of the Chinese language.

And, due to the long written and spoken history of the Chinese language, it has several (mostly closely-related) meanings today.

"Content" is one of them. Though most people would have "peaceful" or "calm" as their first association.

[skylee]

And as chrix has pointed out, it also means "cheap" in the Japanese language. So if a Japanese sees it (e.g. a tattoo), he might interpret it as meaning "cheap".

[Xiwang]

Actress Natalya Rudakova ("Transporter 3"): Red hair, freckles, and an 安 tattooed in black on the back of her neck.

http://www.gr8tfate.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/transporter-3-natalya-rudakova-jason-statham-14.jpg