阴

陰
yīn
HSK 2
#985 most
frequent character
overcast (weather), cloudy, shady
adjective
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

阴 shows a row of hills ⻖ with the moon 月; together they suggest dark, out of direct sunlight. The moon also pairs with 阳's sun in Yin-Yang thought. The meaning grew to hidden, the Yin principle, and overcast. In the simplified form, 月 replaced the old sound part 侌.

阴 as a component in other characters

sound1 character
荫

Ask DeepSeek

Example Sentences

今天的天气很阴。
jīntiān de tiānqì hěn yīn 。
Today's weather is very overcast.
她喜欢阴天，更喜欢在这样的天气里阅读。
tā xǐhuān yīntiān ， gēng xǐhuān zài zhèyàng de tiānqì lǐ yuèdú 。
She likes cloudy days, and she prefers reading in such weather.
阴和阳是中国哲学中的两个基本原则。
yīn hé yáng shì zhōngguó zhéxué zhōngde liǎng gè jīběn yuánzé 。
Yin and Yang are two fundamental principles in Chinese philosophy.

Words with similar meanings

阴暗yīnàn
dark gloomy
This term emphasizes a darker or more somber quality, often related to lack of light.
昏暗hūnàn
dim
This word refers to a low light level, suggesting a similar quality to overcast or cloudy conditions.

Homophones

因yīn
cause, reason, because
音yīn
sound, noise, note (of musical scale)

Words Starting With 阴

阴谋yīn móu
plot; conspiracy

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.

Public Lists with 阴

Religion & Philosophy
Basic terms for Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and other philosophies.
Weather & Climate
Describing temperature, precipitation, seasons, forecasts, and related terms.
HSK 2
All words for the HSK 2 test