<p>Security (think: Otis Redding) is <strong>安全感</strong>, a very popular and common concept in Chinese.</p>

<p>——</p>

<p><em>Oxford</em> gives the example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>有安全感<br>
  have a sense of security</p>
</blockquote>

<p>——</p>

<p>Insecure is <strong>没有安全感</strong>.</p>

<p><em>Oxford</em> has the example sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>她没有安全感。<br>
  She feels insecure. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think Cantonese would opt for 缺乏 over 没有 giving you something like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>缺乏安全感</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T23:52:36.257Z
2018-10-27T23:52:36.257Z
Mou某
<p>Insecurity comes from uncertainty and makes people feel worried and unsafe.</p>
<p>There are so many ways to say insecurity. Here are a few of them.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>不安</p>
<p>不安心</p>
<p>不心安</p>
<p>心感不安</p>
<p>心有不安</p>
<p>惶恐不安</p>
<p>局促不安</p>
<p>不妥</p>
<p>不妥當</p>
<p>不實在</p>
<p>不踏實</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In Cantonese, Initiate 不 becomes 唔. For example, <code>不安心</code> usually becomes <code>唔安心</code>. So as <code>唔妥</code>, <code>唔踏實</code>.</p>
<p>When it comes to &quot;insecurity about your looks, weight, smarts&quot;, it could be <code>無自信</code>, <code>無信心</code>. For example, 對自己容貌無信心.</p>
<p>It is more common to specify this kind of insecurity. For example, in Cantonese, <code>驚畀人笑</code> (worry about being laughed) , <code>驚做唔到</code> (worry about incapable to do), <code>驚出醜</code> (worry about performing in a bad way). <code>驚</code> and <code>怕</code> is very common word to describe insecurity. It is anxiety about something go wrong.</p>
<p>Some literally translate English phrases like &quot;sense of security&quot; as <code>安全感</code> and &quot;sense of insecurity&quot; as <code>不安感</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-25T07:01:28.713Z
2019-08-25T07:01:28.713Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
OmniBus
<p>These two dictionaries seem to offer translations for <code>insecurity</code> that capture the physical sort, not the psychological sort (i.e., insecurity about your looks, weight, smarts, etc.).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordsearch.php?level=0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordsearch.php?level=0</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php</a></p>

<p>Example sentence: What you react to, and what you're sensitive to, often reveal your insecurities.</p>

<p>1) In Mandarin, what's the best translation for psychological <code>insecurity</code>?</p>

<p>2) What's the best translation for Cantonese?</p>

<translation><mandarin><cantonese>
How to express psychological insecurity (not physical insecurity)?
# How to express psychological insecurity (not physical insecurity)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-27)

These two dictionaries seem to offer translations for `insecurity` that capture the physical sort, not the psychological sort (i.e., insecurity about your looks, weight, smarts, etc.).

<http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordsearch.php?level=0>

<https://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/dictionary.php>

Example sentence: What you react to, and what you're sensitive to, often reveal your insecurities.

1) In Mandarin, what's the best translation for psychological `insecurity`?

2) What's the best translation for Cantonese?

**Tags:** translation, mandarin, cantonese


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-08-25. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Insecurity comes from uncertainty and makes people feel worried and unsafe.

There are so many ways to say insecurity. Here are a few of them.

> 不安
>
> 不安心
>
> 不心安
>
> 心感不安
>
> 心有不安
>
> 惶恐不安
>
> 局促不安
>
> 不妥
>
> 不妥當
>
> 不實在
>
> 不踏實

In Cantonese, Initiate 不 becomes 唔. For example, `不安心` usually becomes `唔安心`. So as `唔妥`, `唔踏實`.

When it comes to "insecurity about your looks, weight, smarts", it could be `無自信`, `無信心`. For example, 對自己容貌無信心.

It is more common to specify this kind of insecurity. For example, in Cantonese, `驚畀人笑` (worry about being laughed) , `驚做唔到` (worry about incapable to do), `驚出醜` (worry about performing in a bad way). `驚` and `怕` is very common word to describe insecurity. It is anxiety about something go wrong.

Some literally translate English phrases like "sense of security" as `安全感` and "sense of insecurity" as `不安感`.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-10-27. Score: 3

Security (think: Otis Redding) is **安全感**, a very popular and common concept in Chinese.

——

*Oxford* gives the example:

> 有安全感  
> have a sense of security

——

Insecure is **没有安全感**.

*Oxford* has the example sentence:

> 她没有安全感。  
> She feels insecure.

I think Cantonese would opt for 缺乏 over 没有 giving you something like:

> 缺乏安全感


---

