茔 (yíng) - Grave & tomb

茔Tone 2

yíng ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical:

樱咏

茔 · yíng

Grave;

tomb;

burial ground;

cemetery.

Gravetombburial ground

Usage highlights

Grave siteAncestral graveFamily tombBurial moundCemeteryGrave domain

Synonyms

  • 墓— grave, tomb
  • 坟— grave, burial mound
  • 冢— burial mound, tomb

Antonyms

  • 宅— residence (for the living)
  • 居— dwelling, home

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The family visited the ancestral grave (祖茔).
  • They built a new tomb (新茔) for the deceased.
  • This is a well-maintained cemetery (坟茔).
  • The burial mound (茔冢) was marked with a stone.

Collocations

  • Grave site(茔地)
  • Ancestral grave(祖茔)
  • Family tomb(家茔)
  • Burial mound(茔冢)
  • Cemetery(坟茔)
  • Grave domain(茔域)

Idioms

  • To choose an auspicious burial site(卜宅卜茔)
  • The grave domain is peaceful(茔域安宁)
  • To visit the graves and cherish the memory(省茔怀旧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, gravesites (茔) are carefully selected according to feng shui principles to benefit descendants.
  • Ancestral graves (祖茔) represent family continuity and are maintained through regular rituals like Qingming Festival tomb-sweeping.
  • The character combines the grass radical (艹) with 'fire' (火) below 'earth' (土), suggesting a mound covered with vegetation.

FAQ