荫 (yìn): shade (of a tree)

Meanings

1 shade (of a tree)
2 shelter; protection (from ancestors' virtue)

Characters

荫

yìn

shade; shelter from above; ancestral protection

Examples

他们在大树的荫下乘凉。

Tāmen zài dà shù de yìn xia chéngliáng.

They enjoyed the cool shade under the big tree.

前人种树，后人乘凉，享受先辈留下的荫庇。

Qiánrén zhòng shù, hòurén chéngliáng, xiǎngshòu xiānbèi liú xia de yìnbì.

One generation plants the trees, the next enjoys the shade — benefiting from the shelter left by ancestors.

Tips

usage

荫 has two pronunciations: yīn (shade of a tree as a noun bound form) and yìn (shade/protection, especially the inherited influence of ancestors). In the compound 荫蔽 (yìnbì, shelter/conceal) and 荫凉 (yìnliáng, cool shade), the yìn pronunciation is used.

culture

In imperial Chinese culture, 荫 (yìn) referred to the privilege of inheriting official rank or status due to an ancestor's merit — called 恩荫 (ēnyìn). This system allowed nobles to pass positions to their descendants.