陰いん陽よう

also: おんみょう · おんよう

い

ん

よ

う

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

yin and yang; cosmic dual forces

Refers to the complementary dual forces in Chinese philosophy and traditional Japanese thought, encompassing opposites such as dark/light, moon/sun, and female/male.

陰いん陽ようのバランスが大たい切せつだと東とう洋よう医い学がくでは考かんがえられている。
In Eastern medicine, it is believed that the balance of yin and yang is important.
このマークは陰いん陽ようを表あらわしている。
This symbol represents yin and yang.

See all 33 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

陰いん陽ようの調ちょう和わharmony/balance between yin and yang
この庭てい園えんは陰いん陽ようの調ちょう和わを表あらわしているという。
This garden is said to represent the harmony of yin and yang.
陰いん陽ようが分わかれるfor yin and yang to separate/diverge
古こ代だいの思し想そうでは、混こん沌とんから陰いん陽ようが分わかれて世せ界かいが生うまれたとされる。
In ancient thought, it is said the world was born when yin and yang separated from chaos.

Kanji

陰shade, yin, negative
陽sunshine, yang principle, positive

Don't confuse with

陰陽道おんみょうどう
陰陽 refers to the abstract dual forces themselves, while 陰陽道 is the specific Japanese esoteric practice and divination system built on those principles.

Word family

半はん陰いん陽よう
hermaphrodite; intersex; androgynous
陰いん陽よう家か
diviner; sorcerer; exorcist; medium · School of Yin-yang; School of Naturalists
陰いん陽よう五ご行ぎょう
yin-yang and the five elements
陰いん陽よう和わ合ごう
harmony of yin and yang

Written forms

陰陽Usage100%
- いんよう
  Standard kanji spelling for the yin-yang concept. The reading いんよう is the most common.
- おんみょう
  Alternate reading, primarily used in historical or esoteric contexts such as 陰陽道 (Onmyōdō).
- おんよう
  Less common alternate reading, also associated with traditional cosmology.
おんよう
おんみょう

Etymology

From Chinese 陰陽 (yīnyáng), literally 'dark and light', referring to the complementary dual forces in Chinese philosophy. The alternate readings おんみょう and おんよう are older Sino-Japanese borrowings.