阴 (yīn) · overcast, cloudy, yin (opposite of yang)

Meanings

1 overcast
2 cloudy
3 yin (opposite of yang)

Characters

阴

yīn

cloudy; overcast; yin; shade

Contains 阝 (hill radical) + 月 (moon) - the shaded side of a hill.

Examples

HSK 1

今天是阴天。

Jīntiān shì yīntiān.

Today is overcast.

HSK 2

天阴了，可能要下雨。

Tiān yīn le, kěnéng yào xiàyǔ.

It's gotten cloudy, it might rain.

HSK 6

阴阳是中国哲学的基础。

Yīnyáng shì Zhōngguó zhéxué de jīchǔ.

Yin and yang are the foundation of Chinese philosophy.

Tips

culture

阴阳 represents complementary opposites in Chinese philosophy: dark/light, cold/hot, passive/active. The iconic black-and-white symbol is called 太极图.

Components

radical

阝 fù

mound; hill (left-side form of 阜)

Left-side 阝 is the mound radical, compressed form of 阜. 阴 originally referred to the shaded northern slope of a hill - the side the sun never reaches. The radical anchors the geographical image: a hillside lying in shadow. Same family as 阳 (sunny southern slope), 阵, 阶.

semantic

月 yuè

moon

Right-side 月 depicts the moon, here standing in for the cool/dark/feminine yin principle - chosen by the 1956 reform to replace older 侌 (vapours). The pairing is iconic: sun (日) on the right of 阳 versus moon (月) on the right of 阴, the visual heart of yin-yang philosophy.