阳 meaning and stroke order
The male principle; bright, sunny; clear, lit, open
How to write 阳, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 阳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- positive (electric.)
- sun
- male principle (Taoism)
- Yang, opposite: 陰|阴[yin1]
How 阳 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The place 阝 of the sun 日; compare 阴.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 阳
阳 is built from 阝 (a place, like a hillside) and 日 (sun). Picture the sunny side of a hill, the place where the sun 日 shines, and you have 阳 (yáng), bright and sunny.
阳 rarely stands alone in daily speech. It mostly appears in words like 太阳 (tàiyáng, sun), 阳光 (yángguāng, sunshine) and 阳台 (yángtái, balcony). Example: 今天阳光很好。(Jīntiān yángguāng hěn hǎo.) The sunshine is lovely today.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 阳 with its opposite 阴 (yīn), which has 月 (moon) instead of 日 (sun). Remember sun for yang, moon for yin. Also keep the second tone in yáng, not the flat yāng of 央.
Common words with 阳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun; sunlight; sunshine | HSK 2 |
| 阳光 | yángguāng | sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic | HSK 3 |
| 阳台 | yángtái | balcony; porch | HSK 4 |
| 太阳能 | tàiyángnéng | solar energy | HSK 6 |
| 晒太阳 | shài tàiyáng | to be in the sun (getting warm or sunbathing etc); to put sth in the sun (e.g. to dry it) | HSK 7-9 |
| 阳性 | yángxìng | positive; masculine | HSK 7-9 |
| 太阳系 | tàiyángxì | solar system | |
| 阴阳 | yīnyáng | yin and yang | |
| 夕阳 | xīyáng | sunset; the setting sun | |
| 阳具 | yángjù | penis | |
| 阳光明媚 | yángguāngmíngmèi | the sun shines brightly (idiom) | |
| 太阳神 | tàiyángshén | Sun God; Apollo | |
| 阳痿 | yángwěi | (medicine) impotence | |
| 太阳镜 | tàiyángjìng | sunglasses |
阳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 阳
How many strokes are in 阳?
阳 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 阳 mean?
阳 (yáng) means the male principle; bright, sunny; clear, lit, open. A common word with it is 太阳 (tàiyáng), meaning "sun; sunlight; sunshine".
How do you pronounce 阳?
阳 is pronounced yáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 阳?
The radical of 阳 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 阳 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 阳?
The traditional form of 阳 is 陽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 阳 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 阳 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 阳 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What does 阳性 mean in a medical test result?
阳性 (yángxìng) means a positive result, for example a positive COVID test. The opposite is 阴性 (yīnxìng), negative. This matches the sense of 阳 as positive.
Can 阳光 describe a person?
Yes. Calling someone 阳光 means they are upbeat, cheerful and energetic. For example, 他很阳光 (tā hěn yángguāng) means he is a sunny, positive person.