閻 (yán) - Yan — a Chinese surname & also refers to the gate of a lane,

閻Tone 2

yán ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

妍嬿

閻 · yán

Yan — a Chinese surname;

also refers to the gate of a lane, the gate of an alley, or a village gate in ancient times.

Yan — a Chinese surnamealso refers to the gate of a lane,

Usage highlights

Surname YanYan WangYan JunYan Luo WangYan familyYan gate

Synonyms

  • 阎王— Yama, King of Hell
  • 阎罗— Yama, Buddhist deity of the underworld

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He has the surname Yan (姓阎).
  • The ancient term for village gate was Yan (阎).
  • This historical figure was named Yan Luowang (阎罗王).
  • The Yan family lives in that compound (阎家大院).

Collocations

  • Surname Yan(阎姓)
  • Yan Wang(阎王)
  • Yan Jun(阎君)
  • Yan Luo Wang(阎罗王)
  • Yan family(阎家)
  • Yan gate(阎闾)

Idioms

  • King Yama(阎王)
  • Yama's hall is easy to enter but hard to leave(阎王殿好进难出)
  • Yama demands your life at midnight, who dares keep you until dawn(阎王要你三更死，谁敢留人到五更)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the traditional Chinese surnames with ancient origins, appearing in historical texts like the 'Hundred Family Surnames'.
  • In Chinese folk religion and Buddhism, '阎王' (Yama) is the king of the underworld who judges the dead.
  • The character originally referred to the gate of a lane or village in ancient China, later evolving into a surname.

FAQ