陽 meaning and stroke order
The male principle; bright, sunny; clear, lit, open
How to write 陽, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 陽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- positive (electric.)
- sun
- male principle (Taoism)
- Yang, opposite: 陰|阴[yin1]
How 陽 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The place 阝 of the sun 昜; compare 阴.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 陽
陽 combines 阝 (a hillside or place) with 昜, which holds 日 (sun) on top. Picture the sunny side of a hill, the place 阝 where the sun 昜 shines, and you have 陽 (yáng), bright and open.
陽 is the traditional form, and in mainland simplified Chinese it is written 阳. It appears in many everyday 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 陽 with 楊 (yáng, poplar) and 揚 (yáng, to raise), which share the same right side 昜 and the same sound. Check the left part: 阝 for sun and brightness, 木 for the tree, 扌 for the hand action.
Common words with 陽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 太陽 | tàiyáng | sun; sunlight; sunshine | HSK 2 |
| 陽光 | yángguāng | sunshine; (of personality) upbeat; energetic | HSK 3 |
| 陽臺 | yángtái | balcony; porch | HSK 4 |
| 太陽能 | tàiyángnéng | solar energy | HSK 6 |
| 曬太陽 | 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 |
| 陽性 | yángxìng | positive; masculine | HSK 7-9 |
| 太陽系 | tàiyángxì | solar system | |
| 陰陽 | yīnyáng | yin and yang | |
| 夕陽 | xīyáng | sunset; the setting sun | |
| 陽具 | yángjù | penis | |
| 陽光明媚 | yángguāngmíngmèi | the sun shines brightly (idiom) | |
| 太陽神 | tàiyángshén | Sun God; Apollo | |
| 陽痿 | yángwěi | (medicine) impotence | |
| 太陽鏡 | tàiyángjìng | sunglasses |
Questions about 陽
How many strokes are in 陽?
陽 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 陽 mean?
陽 (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 陽?
陽 is pronounced yáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 陽?
The radical of 陽 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 陽 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 陽?
陽 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 阳, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 阳性 mean on a medical test?
阳性 (yángxìng) means a positive result, and its opposite is 阴性 (yīnxìng), negative. The same 阳 also means positive in electricity, as in 阳极 (yángjí), the anode.
How is 阳 related to 阴?
阳 (yáng) and 阴 (yīn) form the pair 阴阳 (yīnyáng). 阳 stands for sun, light and the male principle, while 阴 stands for shade, darkness and the female principle. Both use 阝, with 阴 having 月 (moon) where 阳 has 日 (sun) in simplified form.