Definitions

yīn (particle) because; due to
yīn (noun) cause; reason

Etymology

Pictograph of clothing surrounding () a person (), now written as . The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character "因" originates from a pictograph depicting a person lying on a mat or rug, which represented its early concrete meaning of "mat" or "cushion". Its structure stabilized into a composition of the enclosing radical "囗" surrounding the component "大", though this enclosure is not semantically related to a mouth but rather suggests a defined area or base. From the idea of something one relies upon or a foundation, its meaning abstracted to convey "cause", "reason", or "basis", and by extension developed into a preposition meaning "because of" or "according to". This conceptual shift from a physical object to an abstract principle of causation represents the core development of the character, which is used identically in both its traditional and simplified forms.

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 Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 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 Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

为生病没去学校。

Wǒ yīnwèi shēngbìng méi qù xuéxiào.

I didn't go to school because I was sick.

为忙所以没来。

Tā yīnwèi máng suǒyǐ méi lái.

He didn't come because he was busy.

这是失败的主要原

Zhè shì shībài de zhǔyào yuányīn.

This is the main reason for failure.

他努力学习,此成绩很好。

Tā nǔlì xuéxí, yīncǐ chéngjī hěn hǎo.

He studies hard, therefore his grades are good.

为天气不好,比赛被取消了。

Yīnwèi tiānqì bù hǎo, bǐsài bèi qǔxiāo le.

Because the weather was bad, the game was cancelled.

工作出色而受到表扬。

Tā yīn gōngzuò chūsè ér shòudào biǎoyáng.

He was praised for his outstanding work.

经济素是决策的关键原

Jīngjì yīnsù shì juécè de guānjiàn yuányīn.

Economic factors are key reasons for the decision.

实验设备故障而中断,此数据不完整。

Shíyàn yīn shèbèi gùzhàng ér zhōngduàn, yīncǐ shùjù bù wánzhěng.

The experiment was interrupted due to equipment failure, therefore the data is incomplete.