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陰
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇯🇵🇰🇷
阴
🇨🇳

Yin

HSK 10 N1
Nature →Elements
yīn
イン
かげ、かげ.る
음
Phonosemantic compound. 今 and 云 represent the sound, while 阝 and 云 represent the meaning.
Components
Traditional (陰)
阝 mound+ 今 now+ 云 utter =
陰 Yin
阝 Meaning component
fù mound
place
阝 is a component form of 阜. Depicts hills blocking sunlight.
今 Phonetic component
jīn now
now, today, modern era
View phonetic series →
云 Meaning component
yún utter
(classical) to say
Depicts clouds darkening the sky.
View phonetic series →
Simplified (阴)
阝 mound+ 月 month =
阴 dark
阝 Meaning component
fù mound
place
阝 is a component form of 阜.
月 Simplified component
yuè month
moon
Simplified from the traditional 陰. Used here since the moon corresponds to the 'Yin' of 'Yin and Yang' in Chinese philosophy.
Notes
Similar Characters
侌 cloudy (iii)檃 阢 阮 ancient musical instrument:祁 numerous邨 hamlet-village郤 opening陀 steep bank陟 scale隙 rift邓 Deng (surname) (simp)邗 an ancient place邘 state in Henan province (iii)邙 henan邛 distress邝 Kuang (surname) (simp)邠 county邡 name of a (90a1)邢 Xing (surname)邬 various place names (simp)
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze
Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Bronze
Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
陰
Regular
Modern
Chinese
阴 / 陰 [Yīn]
surname Yin
阴 / 陰 [yīn]
overcast (weather); cloudy; shady; Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang); negative (electric.); feminine; moon; implicit; hidden; genitalia
Japanese
陰 いん 同音

noun

  1. (the) negative (e.g. pole)
  2. yin (in Chinese divination)
  3. hidden place; unseen part; private location
陰 、 蔭 、 翳 (rare) かげ 同音

noun

  1. shade; shadow
  2. behind (something); other side; back
  3. the background; behind the scenes; behind someone's back
  4. gloom (in someone's expression, nature, etc.); darkness
陰 ほと 同音
noun archaic female private parts; female genitals
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (4)
あの木の陰に腰をおろしましょう。
Let's sit down in the shade of that tree.
カーテンの陰に隠れているのは誰？
Who is hiding behind the curtain?
陰で他人の悪口を言うべきでない。
You should not speak ill of others behind their backs.
この事件の陰に誰か黒幕がいるに違いない。
There must be someone behind this affair.
Japanese Names
陰 かげ
Kage surname
CHINESE WORDS (135)
阴谋 [yīn​móu] #3,445
plot
阴影 [yīn​yǐng] #4,330
(lit. and fig.) shadow
阴道 [yīn​dào] #5,649
vagina
阴性 [yīn​xìng] #8,739
negative
阴茎 [yīn​jīng] #6,183
penis
阴暗 [yīn​'àn] #8,248
dim
阴阳 [yīn​yáng] #18,884
yin and yang
阴险 [yīn​xiǎn] #10,827
treacherous
光阴 [guāng​yīn] #16,055
time available
阴沉 [yīn​chén] #16,165
gloomy
125 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 女神 [めがみ] #3,358
goddess
陰に [いんに] #5,702
invisibly
⭐ 密か [ひそか] #5,816
secret
⭐ お陰で [おかげで] #8,342
thanks to ...
⭐ 陰謀 [いんぼう] #9,477
plot
⭐ 物陰 [ものかげ] #9,702
place hidden from view
隠蔽 [いんぺい] #10,142
concealment
陰で [かげで] #10,357
behind one's back
⭐ 木陰 [こかげ] #11,450
shade of a tree
お陰 [おかげ] #12,131
grace (of God)
190 more items
KOREAN WORDS (14)
녹음 #6,800
shade of trees; leafy shade
음모 #26,969
pubic hair
음부 #36,531
genital; pubic area
광음
time
외음부
external genitalia
음경
penis
음극
cathode; negative electrode
음덕
hidden virtue
음력
lunar calendar
음양
yin and yang; male and female
4 more items