jam1 sing6 joeng4 seoi1陰盛陽衰阴盛阳衰
Definition
Yang deficiency due to an excess of yin, or a situation where females dominate or outnumber males.
- technicalyang deficiency due to an excess of yin
- figurativea situation where women dominate, outshine, or outnumber men
How it's used
Originally a concept from traditional Chinese medicine describing an imbalance of bodily energies, this idiom is now frequently used in casual conversation to describe social or workplace environments where females significantly outnumber males. It carries a slightly playful or observational tone rather than a medical one. It is common to hear it used when commenting on the gender ratio of a specific department, social group, or academic major.
Examples
Common phrases
Common mistake
Avoid using this term in serious medical contexts unless you are specifically discussing traditional Chinese medicine, as it will sound confusing or out of place to most listeners who only know the social meaning.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
