树荫

• Pinyin: shù yīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 树 = 木 + 尌 (wood + upright — a tree); 荫 = 艹 + 阴 (plant radical + shade/yin — shade cast by vegetation)

Meaning

Shade cast by trees; a shaded area under or near trees.

Used descriptively for outdoor settings. 在树荫下乘凉 (to take the cool under the shade of trees) is a classic phrase. Relevant in urban planning (shade coverage), ecology (understorey environments), and literary description.

Examples

1. 中午时分，几位老人将棋盘搬到院子角落里那棵古银杏的树荫下，在一片清凉中对弈，棋子落在木盘上发出的清脆声音在安静的午后显得格外悠扬。 At noon, a few elderly men carried their chessboard to the shade of an ancient ginkgo in the corner of the courtyard and played in the cool; the crisp sound of the pieces landing on the wooden board felt especially melodic in the quiet afternoon.
2. 热带城市规划应把树荫覆盖率列为人行道核心指标，因为充足树荫既能降体感温度，也能促进步行出行。 Urban planning in tropical cities should treat shade coverage as a core sidewalk metric, because ample shade both lowers perceived heat and encourages people to walk.
3. 这幅十九世纪风景画里，农夫们在橡树树荫下小憩，远处麦田映着午后金光，整幅画透出悠然田园气息。 In this 19th-century landscape painting, farmers rest in the shade of an oak tree; in the distance, wheat fields glow in the afternoon light, and the whole scene has a calm pastoral feel.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, urban planning, literature, leisure

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 设计滨河廊道时，他沿步道密植高大乔木，希望几年后形成连续树荫长廊，供市民遮阴休憩。(When designing the riverside corridor, he densely planted tall trees along the path, hoping to create a continuous shaded walkway in a few years for residents to rest in the shade.)
• 野营地点要综合考虑树荫、排水和野生动物活动区。(Campsites should be chosen by considering tree shade, drainage, and wildlife activity areas.)

Don't Say

• 树荫 when referring to artificial shade structures such as sunshades or awnings — 树荫 specifically refers to shade cast by trees; for man-made shade use 遮阳棚 (sunshade awning) or 凉棚 (shade shelter) instead

Origin & History

树 (tree — 木 wood + 尌 upright) + 荫 (shade cast by vegetation — 艹 plant radical + 阴 shade/yin)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal