noun HSK 1
Traditional 太陽
sun · sunshine
Meaning
太阳 refers to the sun, the star at the center of our solar system. It is one of the most fundamental words in Chinese and is used in everyday contexts when talking about weather, time of day, or astronomical concepts.
Usage
太阳 is used in both literal and figurative contexts. Native speakers commonly use it to talk about sunny weather (太阳很大 means 'the sun is very strong') or to describe someone as optimistic and warm (像太阳一样 'like the sun'). It appears frequently in weather discussions and time expressions.
Examples
- 01今天太阳很好，我们出去走走吧。, .The sun is nice today, let's go out for a walk.
- 02太阳从东边升起，从西边落下。, .The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个太阳
Common collocations
- 晒太阳to sunbathe, to bask in the sun
- 太阳系solar system
- 太阳能solar energy
- 太阳镜sunglasses
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 太 (great, supreme) with 阳 (yang, the bright/positive principle). 阳 originally depicted the sun rising over a hill, representing brightness and warmth.