second of the ten Heavenly Stems 干

JLPT N1 1 strokes

Words with this Kanji

Overview

The character (yǐ) is primarily known as the second of the ten Heavenly Stems (), a traditional Chinese system used in calendars, astrology, and naming sequences. It often symbolizes the element wood in the Five Elements theory and is associated with spring and growth.

Common Uses

  1. Heavenly Stem: Used in traditional Chinese timekeeping and astrology.
  2. Legal and Formal Contexts: In contracts and agreements, (jiǎ) and (yǐ) are used to denote Party A and Party B respectively, a very common and formal way to refer to two parties without naming them.
  3. Classification and Ranking: is often used to label the second group or category, such as in competitions or classifications (e.g., first group, second group).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 双方: Party A and Party B, used in legal and business documents.
  • : Yǐ wood, representing the wood element associated with .
  • : Group B or second group, used in competitions or classifications.

Usage Notes

When is used in contracts, it is a neutral and formal way to refer to the second party, avoiding personal names. In everyday conversation, is rarely used outside of formal or traditional contexts. It is important not to confuse with similar characters like (two) or 乚 (a radical), as has specific cultural and symbolic meanings.

Summary

Understanding helps learners grasp traditional Chinese cultural references, formal legal language, and classification systems. It is a character that bridges ancient Chinese cosmology and modern formal usage.

Example Sentences

In the traditional Chinese calendar, Yǐ wood represents the growing force of

Contracts often use Party A and Party B to refer to the two parties

He won first place in Group B in the competition.