阴谋
yīn moú · HSK 6
plot
🕵️🤫 yīn moú = shadow + scheme — a plot hatched in the dark
阴 (yīn) means shadow or hidden, 谋 (moú) means plan or scheme. Together: a scheme cooked up in the shadows. The yin in yīn even sounds like the dark half of yin-yang, reinforcing the secrecy angle.
阴 — left 阝(mound) + 月 (moon)
Originally written 陰, combining the 'mound/hill' radical 阝 with 侌 (clouds covering the sun), suggesting the shaded north side of a hill. The simplified form 阴 replaces the phonetic with 月 (moon), reinforcing the idea of darkness, shadow, and the feminine yin principle opposed to 阳 (yang).