Definitions
surname Yin
(literary) to administer; to govern; (bound form) governor; prefect; magistrate (official title in imperial times)
Etymology
Depicts a hand (又) holding a staff, held by people in positions of authority.
About
The character "尹" derives from an early pictographic concept of a hand grasping a staff or scepter, a form that conveyed authority and the act of governance. Its structural composition, minimal yet evocative, has maintained this essential representation across time. Initially denoting the function of ruling or the ruler himself, the term became concretized as a title for high-ranking officials in historical administrative contexts, such as the chief minister in certain ancient states. While its classical sense persists in literary and historical references, modern usage sees the character almost exclusively as a surname, marking a semantic shift from an active role in administration to a passive, inherited personal designation.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
尹老师教我们中文。
尹小姐来自北京。
尹经理负责这个项目。
尹工程师设计了这座桥。
尹教授在大学里教书。
尹医生治好了我的病。
尹女士是一位著名的艺术家。
尹部长在会议上发表了讲话。