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# yang

noun (yang, uncountable — Chinese idea); proper noun (Yang — a surname); (Mandarin, pinyin)

«yang» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (Chinese philosophy) Yang is one half of yin and yang, the old Chinese idea that the world is made of two opposite forces that balance each other; yang is the bright, warm, active, «sunny» side. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#m1)
2. (Mandarin, pinyin) Yáng is a Chinese word that can mean sun or sunshine (as in tàiyáng, the sun), or sheep or goat, depending on the tone and character; it is not an English word. To an English ear it sounds like «yahng». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#m2)
3. Yang is a common Chinese surname (a name). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#m3)

### In the lessons

In religion and culture lessons yin and yang is shown as a circle of a black and a white swirl, each with a dot of the other colour, meaning that opposites belong together. In Mandarin lessons yáng appears in words like tàiyáng (sun) and yáng (sheep) in the Chinese zodiac. Phrases: yin and yang.

### Examples

- Yin and yang are opposites that balance each other, like night and day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x1)
- The yin-yang symbol is a circle of black and white swirls. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x2)
- In Chinese thought, yang is bright, warm and active. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x3)
- (Mandarin) Tàiyáng means the sun. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x4)
- (Mandarin) In the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Goat is also called the Year of the Sheep, yáng. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x5)
- Our new classmate's surname is Yang. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x6)
- My brother is noisy and I am quiet; Mum says we are yin and yang. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/#x7)

### Note

Always «yin and yang», in that order. Yang is not «good» and yin is not «bad»: they are equal halves. In pinyin the tone mark changes the meaning: yáng (sheep, sun) differs from yǎng (raise, look after).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «yang» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Y/yang/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«yang» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/yang.html) on Mova free.