heaven and earth; the universe
Classical Chinese-derived term for the cosmos as a whole. Used in literary, philosophical, or poetic contexts.
Expound the principles of heaven and earth.
trigrams Qian and Kun (I Ching)
Specifically refers to the first two trigrams of the I Ching: Qian (☰, heaven) and Kun (☷, earth). Used in divination and classical Chinese philosophy.
Extended from the trigram sense to represent the dual forces of yin and yang. Rare standalone; more commonly expressed as 陰陽.
The two energies of yin and yang harmonize.
northwest and southwest
In traditional Chinese cosmology, Qian corresponds to northwest and Kun to southwest. Very rare and technical.
Qian and Kun refer to the northwest and southwest directions.
In the I Ching, Qian and Kun are considered the origin of all things.
otherworld; another world
stake everything on one move; go for broke; throw all into a single decisive act
From Chinese 乾坤 (qiánkūn), composed of 乾 (qián, 'heaven') and 坤 (kūn, 'earth'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is deeply rooted in classical Chinese cosmology and the I Ching.