Definitions

yìn (verb) to print; to mark; to stamp
yìn (noun) seal; stamp; print; mark

Etymology

Pictograph of a kneeling person () being held down by a hand (). Based on the original meaning "restrain", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "push down", "stamp", and "print".

About

The character "印" originates from an early pictographic composition depicting a hand exerting downward pressure upon a kneeling figure, a visual concept that directly conveyed the action of pressing to create a mark. This foundational imagery established its enduring connection to seals and the process of stamping, where physical force transfers an image or text. While its structural components have become stylized over time, they historically represented the hand and the person being pressed, elements that remain identifiable in the character's form. The semantic range of "印" gradually concentrated from earlier, broader notions of suppression or fastening into more specific meanings centered on the seal as an object, the act of printing, and the resultant impression, thereby encompassing terms for official chops, printed matter, and trademarks while retaining its core conceptual link to the application of pressure.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这是我的章。

Zhè shì wǒ de yìnzhāng.

This is my seal.

他在刷书籍。

Tā zài yìnshuā shūjí.

He is printing books.

我对她象很好。

Wǒ duì tā yìnxiàng hěn hǎo.

I have a good impression of her.

度是一个大国。

Yìndù shì yī gè dà guó.

India is a big country.

请复这份文件。

Qǐng fùyìn zhè fèn wénjiàn.

Please copy this document.

雪地上有动物的脚

Xuědì shàng yǒu dòngwù de jiǎoyìn.

There are animal footprints on the snow.

这家工厂专门染布料。

Zhè jiā gōngchǎng zhuānmén yìnrǎn bùliào.

This factory specializes in printing and dyeing fabric.

他的作品留下了深刻的历史记。

Tā de zuòpǐn liú xiàle shēnkè de lìshǐ yìnjì.

His works left a deep historical imprint.