How to Write 阴 (yīn) — Meaning “cloudy; shady; yin”

Imagine a hill (the left radical 阝) with the moon (the right part 月) hiding behind it. This creates a dark, shady area, helping you remember that 阴 means cloudy, shady, or yin.

The left radical 阝 is written with two strokes: a curved horizontal then a vertical line. The right side 月 has four strokes, starting with a left-falling stroke. A common mistake is making the moon part too wide; keep it narrow so the character stays balanced.

Other characters like 邓 (a surname) and 邗 (a place name) share the left radical 阝, but 阴 has 月 on the right. 邓 uses 又 (hand) and 邗 uses 干 (dry), so 阴 is the only one related to weather or shade.

阴 is common in weather words like 阴天 (cloudy day) and in 阴影 (shadow) and 阴凉 (shady and cool). In Chinese philosophy, it represents the yin force—darkness, passivity, and femininity—opposite to 阳 (yang).

Common words containing 阴 include: 阴天 (yīn tiān) — cloudy day; overcast; 阴影 (yīn yǐng) — shadow; shade; 阴凉 (yīn liáng) — shady and cool.