尹 (Yǐn): Yin (Chinese surname)

Meanings

1 Yin (Chinese surname)
2 (literary) governor, prefect, magistrate

Characters

尹

yǐn

surname Yin; (literary) govern, administer

Examples

尹是中国一个历史悠久的姓氏。

Yǐn shì Zhōngguó yīgè lìshǐ yōujiǔ de xìngshì.

Yin is a Chinese surname with a long history.

他姓尹，名子齐。

Tā xìng Yǐn, míng Zǐ qí.

His surname is Yin, given name Ziqi.

Tips

culture

As a common noun (yǐn), 尹 was an ancient official title equivalent to a governor or prefect — seen in titles like 京兆尹 (prefect of the capital region). Today it survives mainly as a surname.

Components

radical

尸 shī

body; seated figure

The 尸-shaped outer frame is the indexing Kangxi radical for 尹. Originally 尹 depicted a hand holding a baton of authority; the graph was reanalyzed so its outline matched 尸 (seated official), placing it in the 尸-radical lookup family alongside 尺 and 局.

ideograph

一 yī

one; horizontal bar

The horizontal 一 stroke through the middle represents the baton or staff of office held in the hand. This crossbar is the symbolic mark of authority that gives 尹 its meaning of 'governor, magistrate' in classical and surname use.