坤 (kūn) - Earth & female principle

坤Tone 1

kūn ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 土

俊梁

坤 · kūn

Earth;

female principle;

terrestrial;

symbol of the receptive, nurturing, and yielding aspect in the I Ching.

Earthfemale principleterrestrial

Usage highlights

Qian and KunKun hexagramEarthly virtueEarth elementFemale energyKunlun Mountains

Synonyms

  • 地— earth; ground
  • 土— soil; earth
  • 母— mother (sharing the nurturing aspect)

Antonyms

  • 乾— Qian; Heaven; male principle
  • 天— heaven; sky
  • 阳— yang; masculine; active principle

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The earth is vast and nurturing (坤厚载物).
  • She is a lady of gentle virtue (坤德).
  • The Kun hexagram represents the Earth (坤卦).
  • This is a world-famous masterpiece (乾坤 masterpiece).

Collocations

  • Qian and Kun(乾坤)
  • Kun hexagram(坤卦)
  • Earthly virtue(坤德)
  • Earth element(坤土)
  • Female energy(坤道)
  • Kunlun Mountains(昆仑山)

Idioms

  • Qian and Kun, the cosmos(乾坤)
  • Revolving heaven and earth(旋转乾坤)
  • A world-shaking event(扭转乾坤)
  • As vast as heaven and earth(朗朗乾坤)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In the I Ching (Book of Changes), Kun is one of the eight trigrams, representing Earth, the receptive, and the feminine principle.
  • In traditional Chinese cosmology, Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) are the two primary forces that generate all things.
  • The character is often used in female names to embody qualities of gentleness, nurturing, and stability.

FAQ