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因

Mandarin · pinyin yīn

cause
reason
because

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因: yīn · cause, reason; by; because (of)

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · yin1

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1character link53same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 11 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jan1

Cantonese word readings for 因. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

(literary) to follow (e.g. a tradition)
(literary) to take advantage; to make use of a situation
(archaic) conveniently; in passing; expediently
(archaic) thus; in such way; therefore; accordingly
(archaic) through; via
(obsolete) to multiply
depending on; according to; based on; contingent upon
(Cantonese) to estimate
reason; cause
because; since
due to; because of

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack