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阴暗面 (yīn àn miàn) — dark side, negative aspect (of a person, society, organization, etc.)

Definition

noun
dark sidenegative aspect (of a person, society, organization, etc.)

Examples

  • 阴暗面，。
    Měi gè rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de yīn àn miàn, yào xué huì miàn duì tā.
    Everyone has their own dark side; you need to learn to face it.
  • 阴暗面。
    Zhè bù jì lù piàn jiē lù le shè huì de yīn àn miàn.
    This documentary exposes the dark side of society.
  • 阴暗面。
    Lì shǐ shàng de yīn àn miàn wǎng wǎng bèi hū lüè.
    The dark side of history is often overlooked.

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.

阴暗dark
阴yīndark暗àndark
联合Coordinate
面miànside

阴暗面 combines 阴暗 “dark” with 面 “side” to mean the dark side.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陰; 阴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
侌
侌yīn陰yīn
Same sound today

The traditional form 陰 combines 阜, the meaning part, with 侌, the sound part. The simplified 阴 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 阴 →

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
音
音yīn暗àn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

Open 暗 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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