<p>One of the original meanings of 详 is being prudent or careful. Later its meaning was generalized to &quot;behaving in a peaceful and steady way.&quot; When 详 is used standalone this meaning is not used in modern Chinese, hence your confusion.</p>
<p>晋 陶渊明《闲情赋》: 神仪妩媚，举止<strong>详</strong>妍 (Her look is so charming, and her behavior is so peaceful and gentle)</p>
<p>It was combined with 安 which also means peaceful, to form the word 安详. 祥 would not make sense here. Behaving peacefully does not give you any advantage to be successful, lucky, etc.</p>
<p>References: 王力古汉语字典 p. 1272</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2W3bI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2W3bI.png" alt="王力古汉语字典 详" /></a></p>
<p>辞源 第三版 p.1092</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4tKQp.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4tKQp.png" alt="辞源 安详" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T16:23:23.013Z
2023-10-17T16:23:23.013Z
user2249675
<p>安(calm)详(prudent) and not 安(calm)祥(luck).</p>
<ul>
<li><p>安(calm)详(prudent), composed - 指神态平静、从容稳重。如“神态安详、面容安详、他安详地睡着了”.</p>
</li>
<li><p>吉(good)祥(luck) - &quot;吉祥如意&quot;.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T17:56:06.263Z
2023-10-17T17:56:06.263Z
r13
<p>&quot;At peace&quot; is a state of mind, and '詳/ 详' is clearly more fitting than '祥'</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/5715" rel="nofollow noreferrer">詳</a>: clear, lucid, known</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/2699" rel="nofollow noreferrer">祥</a> : auspicious; propitious; lucky</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/word/8146" rel="nofollow noreferrer">安詳</a>: serene; at peace</p>
</blockquote>
<p>安: peaceful</p>
<p>详: clear (not clouded by emotion --&gt; not emotional)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T09:04:35.953Z
2023-10-17T09:13:01.160Z
2023-10-17T09:13:01.160Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%AE%89%E8%AF%A6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a>: 安详 (ān​xiáng​) serene</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Regarding the above word, my Chinese-Chinese dictionary (现代汉语规范词典 &quot;GF&quot; in Pleco) cautions me 注意：“详”不要误写作“祥” (despite <a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%AE%89%E7%A5%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT including it</a>).  While 祥 doesn't make too much sense, it seems to make more sense than using 详 in 安详.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E8%AF%A6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a>: 详 (​xiáng​) detailed / comprehensive<br />
<a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E7%A5%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a>: 祥 (xiáng​) auspicious / propitious</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I asked ChatGPT, and it said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;安详&quot; (ān xiáng): This term means &quot;peaceful&quot; or &quot;tranquil.&quot; In this context, &quot;详&quot; serves as a phonetic component, providing the pronunciation &quot;xiáng.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm skeptical about this claim (phonetic components refer to character components, not whole characters).  But maybe ChatGPT has a point, and it's just a character that has the correct pronunciation, and I should ignore the character's meaning.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is it written 安详 and not 安祥?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T08:59:08.630Z
Note a similar semantic development with Latin _componere_ "to put together" > English _compose_ > English _composed_.
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T09:43:48.930Z
Good question. I use 安详 since elementary school (native speaker here). I never have this doubt. Now I do. IMHO, 安祥離世 is better than 安详離世. But, all dictionaries will tell you 安详離世. It's probably worth a PhD research topic.
Nobody
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T10:28:33.937Z
This provides a concise introductory explanation: https://www.macaudata.mo/macaubook/book244/html/14601.htm. 安祥 existed, but was just rarer, and modern dictionary compilers just chose one spelling. I wouldn't try to analyse this by characters; 安詳 was created before spelling was standardised, and there's copious examples of 祥 being swapped with 詳 and vice-versa in many words.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-17T10:47:07.493Z
@dROOOze Would you care to expand the comment to an answer ?
Nobody
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-18T04:43:40.417Z
This might answer your question https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E5%AE%89%E8%A9%B3/81499
fat penguin
<etymology><word>
Why is it written 安详 and not 安祥?
# Why is it written 安详 and not 安祥?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-17)

> [CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%AE%89%E8%AF%A6): 安详 (ān​xiáng​) serene

Regarding the above word, my Chinese-Chinese dictionary (现代汉语规范词典 "GF" in Pleco) cautions me 注意：“详”不要误写作“祥” (despite [CC-CEDICT including it](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E5%AE%89%E7%A5%A5)). While 祥 doesn't make too much sense, it seems to make more sense than using 详 in 安详.

> [CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E8%AF%A6): 详 (​xiáng​) detailed / comprehensive  
> [CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E7%A5%A5): 祥 (xiáng​) auspicious / propitious

I asked ChatGPT, and it said:

> "安详" (ān xiáng): This term means "peaceful" or "tranquil." In this context, "详" serves as a phonetic component, providing the pronunciation "xiáng."

I'm skeptical about this claim (phonetic components refer to character components, not whole characters). But maybe ChatGPT has a point, and it's just a character that has the correct pronunciation, and I should ignore the character's meaning.

**Question**: Why is it written 安详 and not 安祥?

**Tags:** etymology, word
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Note a similar semantic development with Latin _componere_ "to put together" > English _compose_ > English _composed_.  
> **username_2**: Good question. I use 安详 since elementary school (native speaker here). I never have this doubt. Now I do. IMHO, 安祥離世 is better than 安详離世. But, all dictionaries will tell you 安详離世. It's probably worth a PhD research topic.  
> **username_3**: This provides a concise introductory explanation: https://www.macaudata.mo/macaubook/book244/html/14601.htm. 安祥 existed, but was just rarer, and modern dictionary compilers just chose one spelling. I wouldn't try to analyse this by characters; 安詳 was created before spelling was standardised, and there's copious examples of 祥 being swapped with 詳 and vice-versa in many words.  
> **username_2**: @dROOOze Would you care to expand the comment to an answer ?  
> **username_4**: This might answer your question https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E5%AE%89%E8%A9%B3/81499  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2023-10-17. Score: 4

One of the original meanings of 详 is being prudent or careful. Later its meaning was generalized to "behaving in a peaceful and steady way." When 详 is used standalone this meaning is not used in modern Chinese, hence your confusion.

晋 陶渊明《闲情赋》: 神仪妩媚，举止**详**妍 (Her look is so charming, and her behavior is so peaceful and gentle)

It was combined with 安 which also means peaceful, to form the word 安详. 祥 would not make sense here. Behaving peacefully does not give you any advantage to be successful, lucky, etc.

References: 王力古汉语字典 p. 1272

[![王力古汉语字典 详](https://i.sstatic.net/2W3bI.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/2W3bI.png)

辞源 第三版 p.1092

[![辞源 安详](https://i.sstatic.net/4tKQp.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/4tKQp.png)


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### Answer by username_6 on 2023-10-17. Score: 3

安(calm)详(prudent) and not 安(calm)祥(luck).

* 安(calm)详(prudent), composed - 指神态平静、从容稳重。如“神态安详、面容安详、他安详地睡着了”.
* 吉(good)祥(luck) - "吉祥如意".


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### Answer by username_7 on 2023-10-17. Score: 0

"At peace" is a state of mind, and '詳/ 详' is clearly more fitting than '祥'

> [詳](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/5715): clear, lucid, known

> [祥](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/2699) : auspicious; propitious; lucky

> [安詳](https://cantoneseplus.com/word/8146): serene; at peace

安: peaceful

详: clear (not clouded by emotion --> not emotional)


---

