洋

• Pinyin: yáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 洋 = 氵 (water) + 羊 (sheep), phonetic component; originally meant vast water, later extended to foreign

Meaning

Foreign; Western; ocean. Describing things of foreign origin or relating to the sea.

Historically contrasted with 土 (native/local). 洋 carries connotations of Western or modern. Common compounds: 洋人 (foreigner, dated), 洋气 (fashionable/Western-style), 洋房 (Western-style house), 出洋相 (make a fool of oneself). Also means ocean: 太平洋 (Pacific Ocean).

Examples

1. 她穿得很洋气，总是走在时尚前沿。 She dresses very stylishly, always at the forefront of fashion.
2. 这栋老洋房有一百多年的历史了。 This old Western-style house has over a hundred years of history.
3. 小心别在公开场合出洋相。 Be careful not to embarrass yourself in public.

Usage Guide

Context: fashion, culture, geography

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这件衣服很洋气。(This outfit is very stylish/Western.)
• 他喜欢收藏洋酒。(He likes to collect foreign wines.)

Don't Say

• 洋国家 — 应说'西方国家'或'外国'，洋作为形容词修饰具体事物而非国家

Origin & History

Originally meant vast body of water. Extended to mean 'overseas' and then 'foreign/Western' during the era of increased contact with the West.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal