yin
yin — noun
1. the dark and receptive half of the natural duality that works alongside yang to
the dark and receptive half of the natural duality that works alongside yang to create all existence — tied to night, water, the moon, and the feminine.
The elderly herbalist taught her students that yin is the cool, calming energy that balances the body's yang.
collocation: yin is + balances yang
The philosophy student explained that yin is associated with the moon, water, darkness, and rest.
typical examples of yin associations
The acupuncturist advised his patient to rest more in winter, the most deeply yin season.
The grandmother told her granddaughter that reading on quiet autumn evenings helps preserve the body's yin energy.
- feminine principle
a descriptive equivalent in Western contexts, though it lacks the cosmological scope of yin
- yang
the opposite, active, bright, masculine force that complements yin
文法句型
yin + (and yang)
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'yin and yang' (or 'yin-yang') to describe the duality. This sense is uncountable and does not take an article.