太和 (Tài hé) — (classical philosophy) supreme harmony, grand harmony between yin and yang

Definition

A classical Chinese philosophical term for the supreme, cosmic harmony of yin and yang — the ideal balance across heaven, earth, and all things. Used almost entirely in written or Daoist/Confucian contexts, not in everyday speech.

noun
(classical philosophy) supreme harmony, grand harmony between yin and yang
Easily confused

Examples

  • 太和。
    Dào jiā de lǐ xiǎng shì dá dào tiān dì Tài hé de jìng jiè.
    The Daoist ideal is to reach the state of grand harmony between heaven and earth.
  • 太和。
    Tài hé diàn de míng zì yuán yú zhōng guó gǔ dài zhé xué zhōng de Tài hé.
    The name of the Hall of Supreme Harmony originates from the concept of grand harmony in ancient Chinese philosophy.
  • ，太和。
    Yīn yáng tiáo hé, tiān xià Tài hé.
    When yin and yang are harmonized, the world is in grand harmony.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

太tàisupreme
和héharmony

The sense of 太 as supreme combines with 和 as harmony to mean grand harmony.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →

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