荫 (yīn) — (stative verb) shady, sunless, cool and damp
Definition
Literary/formal word for 'shady and cool,' used mainly in 荫凉 and to describe damp, sunless places. Often appears as part of set phrases rather than alone.
adjective
(stative verb) shadysunlesscool and damp
Easily confused
- 阴yīnlook-alike(of weather) overcast, cloudy
- 因yīnsound-alike(preposition) because of, due to
- 萌ménglook-alike(bound form) to sprout, to germinate; a bud or early stage
- 音yīnsound-alikesound, tone (especially musical or acoustic quality)
- 茵yīnsound-alike(bound form) mattress; (fig.) carpet of grass (used in literary phrases)
- 姻yīnsound-alike(bound form) marriage; related by marriage
Examples
- ，。Zhè kē shù xià miàn hěn yīn liáng, hěn liáng kuai.It's very shady and cool under this tree.
- 。Zhè tiáo xiǎo xiàng zi zhōng nián yīn liáng cháo shī.This alley is perpetually shady, cool, and damp.
- ，。Tiān qì tài rè le, wǒ men zhǎo gè yīn liáng de dì fāng xiū xi ba.It's too hot; let's find a shady, cool place to rest.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 蔭; 荫 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
陰
陰yīn蔭yìn
Same sound today
The traditional form 蔭 has 艹 (grass) and 陰 (shade), with 陰 giving the sound; 荫 is a later simplified form.
Appears in
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