HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Medium
银
yín
silver-colored
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Medium
银
yín
relating to money or currency
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Medium
银
yín
silver; cash, money, wealth
HSK 6, ng, 11 strokes, radical 钅, rank #3757, Medium
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#3757DifficultyMedium
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.
Memory Mnemonic
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Pronunciation of 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.
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.
Word Family of 银
Words Containing This Character20
银行yínhángbank銀行
银yínsilver銀
商业银行commercial bank商業銀行
银色silver (color)銀色
银河Milky Way銀河
银子money銀子
中国银行Bank of China (BoC)中國銀行
银行家banker銀行家
银行业banking銀行業
银河系Milky Way Galaxy銀河系
收银to receive payment收銀
银幕yínmùmovie screen銀幕
中国人民银行People's Bank of China中國人民銀行
银币silver coinage銀幣
金银gold and silver金銀
银器silverware銀器
白银Baiyin prefecture-level city in Gansu白銀
银牌yínpáisilver medal銀牌
人民银行People's Bank of China人民銀行
水银mercury水銀
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 银行 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 银
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.
