Meaning
夕阳 refers to the sun as it sets in the evening, typically creating warm orange and red hues in the sky. It carries poetic and somewhat melancholic associations in Chinese culture, often symbolizing the end of something beautiful or the passage of time.
Usage
This word appears frequently in literary contexts, poetry, and romantic descriptions of scenery. It's more evocative than the neutral word 日落 (sunset as an event). Chinese speakers often use 夕阳 when emphasizing the beauty or emotional quality of the setting sun rather than just stating the time of day.
Examples
- 01我们坐在海边看夕阳。.We sat by the seaside watching the sunset.
- 02夕阳把整个天空染成了金色。.The setting sun dyed the entire sky golden.
Characters
Measure words
- 轮一轮夕阳
Common collocations
- 夕阳西下the setting sun sinks in the west
- 夕阳红red sunset; metaphor for elderly people's vitality
- 夕阳无限好the sunset is infinitely beautiful (from a famous Tang poem)
- 看夕阳to watch the sunset
Antonyms
Origin
夕 originally depicted the crescent moon, representing evening time, while 阳 (陽 in traditional) contains the radical for 'hill' and 'sun', representing sunlight. Together they literally mean 'evening sun'.