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垠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
垠yínboundary, river bankng, 9 strokes, radical 土, rank #51324, Very Hard
垠yínlimitunknown, 9 strokes, radical 土, rank #51324, Very Hard
垠yínborderunknown, 9 strokes, radical 土, rank #51324, Very Hard
yín(yin2) T2
  1. 1boundary, river bank
  2. 2limit
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March 24, 2026

垠yín(yin2)

The character 垠 (yín) refers to a boundary or limit, often in the context of physical spaces such as a river bank or a property line. It can also imply a metaphorical limit or border, making it relevant in discussions about geography, property, and personal boundaries.

Strokes9Radical土Frequency#51324DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, boundaries are significant not only in a physical sense but also in social and familial contexts, as respecting boundaries can reflect harmony and order in relationships. The concept of property lines can also tie into traditional views on land ownership and stewardship.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river bank (the meaning of 垠) that marks the edge of the water. The radical 土 (tǔ), meaning earth or ground, suggests that this boundary is a physical space. You can visualize standing on the bank of the river, feeling the earth beneath your feet, while the pronunciation 'yín' sounds like 'yin' in English, which can remind you of the 'end' of the river.

Meanings of 垠

yín(yin2)
1boundary, river bank
2limit
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 垠

垠Simplified
9Strokes
土Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 垠

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Podcast: 垠

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AI Study Notes for 垠

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as 'yín' uses the second tone, which can easily be confused with other similar-sounding words. This character is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation; however, it can be seen in written contexts discussing property or geography. Common collocations include '国界垠' (national boundary) and '河流垠' (river bank).

HSK Study Tips

Although 垠 is not included in the official HSK levels, it is useful for learners who are familiar with basic geography vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing its components and associations with other characters that signify boundaries or limits, which may appear in advanced studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 垠 with similar-sounding characters like 银 (yín), meaning silver. Ensure you are using the correct context, such as saying '河流的垠' (the bank of the river) instead of mistakenly saying '河流的银'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 垠

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Etymology of 垠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

earth

Semantic (meaning)土
+
Phonetic (sound)艮
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 垠

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half土 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half艮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayearth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 垠? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 垠?

Decomposition of 垠

IDS Structure⿰土艮
垠Full Character
=
土Tu3
left
艮gen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 垠?

How to say boundary, river bank in Chinese

“boundary, river bank” in Chinese is垠yín

The character 垠 (yín) refers to a boundary or limit, often in the context of physical spaces such as a river bank or a property line. It can also imply a metaphorical limit or border, making it relevant in discussions about geography, property, and personal boundaries.

When to use 垠

Be cautious with the tone, as 'yín' uses the second tone, which can easily be confused with other similar-sounding words. This character is more formal and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation; however, it can be seen in written contexts discussing property or geography. Common collocations include '国界垠' (national boundary) and '河流垠' (river bank).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 垠 with similar-sounding characters like 银 (yín), meaning silver. Ensure you are using the correct context, such as saying '河流的垠' (the bank of the river) instead of mistakenly saying '河流的银'.

Write 垠

垠

Practice writing 垠 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 垠

Words Containing This Character4
无垠vast無垠
垠yínlimit
一望无垠to stretch as far as the eye can see (idiom)一望無垠
姚雪垠Yao Xueyin (1910-1999), PRC novelist, author of historical novel Li Zicheng 李自成
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 无垠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 垠

It can be found in phrases like '边垠' (boundary) and '海垠' (sea boundary), which indicate limits in geographical terms.

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