HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Hard
银
yín
silver-colored
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Hard
银
yín
relating to money or currency
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Hard
银
yín
silver; cash, money, wealth
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Hard
yín(yin2) T2
1silver
2silver-colored
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March 24, 2026
银(銀)yín(yin2)
The character '银' (yín) refers to silver, both as a metal and in relation to money or currency. It is commonly used in contexts involving wealth, finance, and color, particularly when discussing silver-colored items or materials.
Strokes11Radical钅Frequency#3757DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, silver is historically associated with wealth and prosperity, often used in jewelry and traditional ornaments. Silver items are common gifts during celebrations, symbolizing good fortune.
Memory Tip
Imagine a shiny silver coin, glimmering in the light, representing wealth and prosperity. The character '银' resembles a flowing stream, symbolizing the flow of money and riches, with its left component suggesting a metal element.
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AI Study Notes for 银
Quick Contrast
银 (silver) vs 钢 (steel) — choose 银 when referring specifically to the precious metal or color, while 钢 denotes a stronger, less precious metal.
Usage Notes
'银' is often used in financial contexts, such as 银行 (yínháng - bank) and 现金 (xiànjīn - cash). A common mistake is to confuse it with 钢 (gāng - steel), which is unrelated; remember that '银' specifically denotes something valuable and precious.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 5 word, '银' connects to terms related to finance and material. Focus on its usage in compound words and phrases, and practice distinguishing it from similar characters to enhance vocabulary retention.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce '银' by saying it with a flat tone instead of the rising tone needed. For example, saying 'yin' instead of 'yín' can lead to misunderstandings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 银
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Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound. Simplified form of 銀.
1The meaning half钅 carries the sense.
2The sound half艮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymoney
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 银?
Decomposition of 银
IDS Structure⿰钅艮
银Full Character
=
钅jin1
left
艮gen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 银?
How to say silver in Chinese
“silver” in Chinese is银yín
The character '银' (yín) refers to silver, both as a metal and in relation to money or currency. It is commonly used in contexts involving wealth, finance, and color, particularly when discussing silver-colored items or materials.
When to use 银
'银' is often used in financial contexts, such as 银行 (yínháng - bank) and 现金 (xiànjīn - cash). A common mistake is to confuse it with 钢 (gāng - steel), which is unrelated; remember that '银' specifically denotes something valuable and precious.
银 or something close to it
银 (silver) vs 钢 (steel) — choose 银 when referring specifically to the precious metal or color, while 钢 denotes a stronger, less precious metal.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mispronounce '银' by saying it with a flat tone instead of the rising tone needed. For example, saying 'yin' instead of 'yín' can lead to misunderstandings.
Write 银
银
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Grammar Patterns of 银
银 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Some common phrases include '银色' (yín sè), meaning 'silver color', and '银子' (yín zi), which refers to 'silver' as a noun. Additionally, '银货两讫' (yín huò liǎng qì) is a phrase that refers to a transaction involving both silver and goods.
Yes, 银 is used in various idioms and expressions in Chinese. One example is '一钱不值' (yī qián bù zhí), meaning 'not worth even a penny', which reflects the value of money. Understanding these idioms can enhance your comprehension of cultural nuances in the language.
银 (yín) translates to 'silver' in English. It can refer to the metal itself, the color silver, or concepts related to money and currency. In everyday conversation, it is often used to describe items that are silver-colored or to denote value in terms of money.
You can use 银 in a sentence to describe objects or concepts related to silver. For example, '这块银子很值钱' means 'This piece of silver is very valuable.' It can also be used to describe colors, such as '他的车是银色的' which means 'His car is silver-colored.'
'银' appears in phrases like 银行 (yínháng - bank) and 银子 (yínzi - silver or money).
'银' is pronounced 'yín' with a rising tone, similar to the way you might say 'yin' with a slight upward inflection.
Yes, '银' can be used in everyday contexts when discussing money, transactions, or describing silver-colored objects.
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