寅 (yín) - The third of the twelve Earthly Branches in & associated with the tiger, the period 3–5 AM,

寅Tone 2

yín ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

懿嘤

寅 · yín

The third of the twelve Earthly Branches in the Chinese zodiac;

associated with the tiger, the period 3–5 AM, and the direction east-northeast;

also used in formal contexts for the year of the tiger.

The third of the twelve Earthly Branches inassociated with the tiger, the period 3–5 AM,also used in formal contexts for the year

Usage highlights

Year of the TigerHour of YinYin directionYin monthHeavenly Stems and Earthly BranchesYin Tiger

Synonyms

  • 虎— tiger (the animal zodiac sign)

Antonyms

  • 申— the ninth Earthly Branch (monkey), opposite in some directional systems

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was born in the year of the tiger (寅年).
  • The hour of Yin is from 3 to 5 AM (寅时).
  • The Yin direction is east-northeast (寅方).
  • This ancient text uses the Earthly Branch system (干支), where Yin is the third.

Collocations

  • Year of the Tiger(寅年)
  • Hour of Yin(寅时)
  • Yin direction(寅方)
  • Yin month(寅月)
  • Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches(干支)
  • Yin Tiger(寅虎)

Idioms

  • Yin Eat Mao Food (寅吃卯粮) — to eat next year's food; to anticipate one's income
  • Yin Fear Mao Wood (寅畏卯木) — mutual restraint among the branches
  • Yin Year Mao Month (寅年卯月) — indefinite time in the future

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 寅 is the third Earthly Branch in the traditional Chinese calendrical system.
  • It corresponds to the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac and the period 3–5 AM in the traditional timekeeping system.
  • In Chinese cosmology, it represents the direction 60° (east-northeast) and the first month of the lunar year in some contexts.
  • The character appears in classical texts and historical records for dating and directional purposes.

FAQ