The Feng Shui Dictionary
Reading up on Feng Shui you will come across the one or other Chinese term. Some of these have more general meanings, others are specific to Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology. Below you will find a list of the most common ones:
General Feng Shui terms
(in alphabetical order)
| An jian | secret arrow |
| Ba Gua | The Eight trigrams (learn more about: Yijing) |
| Ba kong wang | Eight void (evil) lines - trigram divisions affecting facings |
| Bai Hu | One of the four celestial animals: White Tiger sits in the western palace |
| Bei dou xing | Big dipper |
| Bi he | mutual harmony (no effect) |
| Chu gua | Out of the trigram |
| Di | earth |
| Di li | Water, river, watercourse, body of water |
| Di pan | Earth plate |
| Dui | Part of the 8 Guas: Lake or marsh |
| Feng Shui | wind water |
| Feng shui jia / Kan yu jia | traditional name for Feng Shui practitioner |
| Fu xi | the Legendary Emperor Fu Xi |
| Gen | Part of the 8 Guas: Mountain |
| He tu | River He Pattern (learn more about: Chinese Numerology) |
| Hou tian ba gua | Later heaven sequence of eight trigrams |
| Huo | The Five Elements: Fire |
| Jiang pan | A special San yuan luopan from Master Jiang Dahong |
| Jin | The Five Elements: Metal |
| Kan | Part of the 8 Guas: Water |
| Kan yu | traditional name for Feng Shui (learn more about: other Feng Shui names) |
| Ke | The Five Elements: controlling cycle |
| Kong feng | Junction between the 24 mountains |
| Kun | Part of the 8 Guas: Earth |
| Li | Part of the 8 Guas: Fire |
| Liu sha | six killings |
| Long mai | the dragon vain |
| Luo jing pan | Luopan (Feng Shui Compass) (often also Lopan) |
| Luo shu | the Magic Square (learn more about Chinese Numerology) |
| Ming tang | Bright hall - Space in front of the site, usually the entrance area |
| Mu | The Five Elements: Wood |
| Nei pan | the inside circle of the Luopan compass |
| Nian shen fang wei | Positions of the year gods |
| Qi xian | Line between trigrams on luopan |
| Qian | money |
| Qian | Part of the 8 Guas: Heaven |
| Qing Long | One of the four celestial animals: Green Dragon sits in the eastern palace |
| Ren | human being |
| San Cai | the three entities: Heaven, Earth and Human Being |
| San cai | The Three Entities - Heaven, Earth and Human Being |
| San he luo jing pan | Three Harmonies Luopan |
| San yuan luo jing pan | 3 cycle compass |
| Sha | detrimental (negative) |
| Sha qi | detrimental qi |
| Shan | Mountain, mountain ridge |
| Shan gu | Mountain valley |
| Shan long | Mountain dragon |
| Shan shui | Mountains and waters |
| Sheng | The Five Elements: nourishing cycle |
| Shi pan pan | Han dynasty divination plate |
| Shui | water |
| Shui | The Five Elements: Water |
| Shui long | Water dragon |
| Si kong wang | Void (evil) lines |
| Si ling shou | the Four Celestial Animals (learn more about: the Four Animals) |
| Si nan | the original form of the luopan based on the big dipper, the needle was a spoon |
| Tai yang | the sun (regarded as yang) |
| Tai yi jiu gong pan | Tai yi nine palace luopan |
| Tai yin | the moon (regarded as yin) |
| Tian | heaven |
| Tian pan | Heaven plate |
| Tian qi | the center of the Loupan, also called Heaven's pool |
| Tian xin shi dao | Heaven center cross line |
| Tong shu | "The Book of Everything": The chinese almanac and farmer's calendar |
| Tu | The Five Elements: Earth |
| Wai ba gua | Outer bagua |
| Wai pan | Outer plate - the square base |
| Wan | ten thousand |
| Wu | The Five Elements: when ke cycle is not strong enough the other element will insult or bully back |
| Wu xing | The Five Phases or Five Elements (learn more about: the Five Elements) |
| Xia chuan | Directionof the water flow |
| Xia gua tu | Chart of lower trigrams |
| Xia shui | Below water |
| Xian tian ba gua | Pre heaven sequence of eight trigrams |
| Xiang | Facing direction of a house or a tomb |
| Xiang dui | Opposite, to oppose, face to face, relative |
| Xiang hua | The Five Elements: mutual change |
| Xiang ke | The Five Elements: mutual destruction |
| Xiang sheng | The Five Elements: mutual nourishing |
| Xiang zhi | The Five Elements: mutual control |
| Xie | To leak out, drain, vent, scatter, disperse, dissipate, reveal |
| Form or formation in regards to mountain appearances and water patterns | |
| Xiong mei | part of the five basic relationships: siblings (sister and brothers) |
| Xu shui | empty or virtual water |
| Xuan wu | One of the four celestial animals: Black Tortoise sits in the northern palace |
| Xun | Part of the 8 Guas: Wind |
| Zhen | Part of the 8 Guas: Thunder |
| Zheng zhen di pan | Correct needle of the earth plate on luo pan |
| Zhu Que | One of the four celestial animals: Red Bird sits in the southern palace (often translated as Phoenix) |
| Zong he luo jing pan | Combined luopan usually called zonghe compass: a combination of the sanhe and sanyuan luopan |
| Zuo | Sitting direction of a house or a tomb |
Feng Shui Schools
(in alphabetical order)
| Ba gua pai | Eight trigrams school or system of Feng Shui |
| Ba zhai pai | Eight Houses School Feng Shui (learn more here: Feng Shui Bazhai) |
| Dian nan pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Dian Nan School or System |
| Fan gua pai | Changing Gua school or system of Feng Shui |
| Guan dong pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Guandong School |
| Li qi | Numerology; patterns of qi (learn more about: Chinese Numerology) |
| Li qi pai | Compass school (learn more here: Feng Shui Compass School) |
| Li xi pai | Form school (learn more here: Feng Shui Form School) |
| Qi men dun jia pai | Qimen Dunjia School / System of Feng Shui |
| San he pai | Three Harmonies School of Feng Shui |
| Shang yu pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Shangyu School |
| Shu fang pai | The intensive study school of "yijing" (also spelled: I Ching / I Ging) (learn more about: Yijing) |
| Su zhou pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Suzhou School |
| Wu chang pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Wuchang School |
| Wu xing pai | The Five Elements or Five Phases school of feng Shui |
| Xiang chu pai | Part of the Six Flying Stars School of Feng Shui: Xiang Chu School |
| Xiang shu pai | Symbol and Number School |
| Xuan kong | The Mysterious Void school of Feng Shui (refers to the 60-year cycle) |
| Xuan kong da gua pai | Mysterious Void Wind and Water School of Great Divinatory Symbols |
| Xuan Kong Fei Pai | Flying Stars School of Feng Shui (learn more here: Flying Stars Feng Shui) |
| Xuan kong liu pai gai shuo | Six Flying Stars School or System of Feng Shui |
| Yuan kong | 60 year time and space period School of Feng Shui |
| Zi wei dou shu pai | Shu Fang School of Feng Shui |
Special terms associated with Flying Stars Feng Shui (Xuan Kong Fei Xing)
(in alphabetical order)
| Fei xing | Flying stars |
| Ai xing tu | Chart of neighbouring stars |
| Ba bai - zuo fu | Eight white - Left Assistant |
| Cheng men | Castle /city gate |
| Dou niu sha | Bullfight sha star combination |
| Er hei - Ju men | Two black - Enormous Gate |
| Fan yin | Opposite, reversed |
| Fu mu san ban gua | Three fates - special chart in Flying Star Feng Shui |
| Fu yin | Repeat charting |
| Gao song | High tower star |
| Jiu zi - you bi | Nine purple - Right Assistant |
| Ke | Guest star |
| Ling xing | Timely star |
| Liu bai - wu qu | Six white - Military and authority star |
| Qi chi - po jun | Seven red - Broken Army |
| Qi xing da jie | "Seventh star robbery" method to manipulate qi |
| San ban gua | String of pearls - special chart in Flying Star Feng Shui |
| San bi - lu cun | Three blue-green/jade green - Salary Preserved |
| Shan xing | Mountain star |
| Shang shan | Above mountain see shang shan xia shui |
| Shang shan xia shui | Above mountain and below water, out of place mountain and water, reversed house |
| Shi yun | Losing the yun |
| Shui xing | Water star |
| Si lü - wen qu | Four green - Literary star |
| Ti xing | Replacement star |
| Wang | Prosperity |
| Wang shan wang shui | Correct positioning of mountain and water stars |
| Wu huang - Lian zhen | Five yellow - Chasteness and Purity |
| Xiang xing | Facing star |
| Yi bai- tan lang | One white - Greedy Wolf |
| Zhao shen | Mirror spirit (secondary auspicious star) |
| Zheng shen | Upright spirit (the timely star) |
| Zhu | Host star |
| Zi bai jue | Method of purple and white/ purple and white secret |
The Twenty-Four Mountain Rings of the Luopan
| 1 Zi- Rat | 352.5 - 7.5 ° (yin) |
| 2 Gui | 7.5 - 22.5 ° (yin) |
| 3 Chou - Ox | 22.5 - 37.5 ° (yin) |
| 4 Gen - mountain trigram | 37.5 - 52.5 ° (yang) |
| 5 Yin - Tiger | 52.5 - 67.5 ° (yang) |
| 6 Jia | 67.5 - 82.5 ° (yang) |
| 7 Mao - Rabbit | 82.5 - 97.5 ° (yin) |
| 8 Yi | 97.5 - 112.5 ° (yin) |
| 9 Chen - Dragon | 112.5 - 127.5 ° (yin) |
| 10 Xun - wind trigram | 127.5 - 142.5 ° (yang) |
| 11 Si - Snake | 142.5 - 157.5 ° (yang) |
| 12 Bing | 157.5 - 172.5 ° (yang) |
| 13 Wu - Horse | 172.5 - 187.5 ° (yin) |
| 14 Ding | 187.5 - 202.5 ° (yin) |
| 15 Wei - Sheep | 202.5 - 217.5 ° (yin) |
| 16 Kun - Earth Trigram | 217.5 - 232.5 ° (yang) |
| 17 Shen -Monkey | 232.5 - 247.5 ° (yang) |
| 18 Geng | 247.5 - 262.5 ° (yang) |
| 19 You - Rooster | 262.5 - 277.5 ° (yin) |
| 20 Xin | 277.5 - 292.5 ° (yin) |
| 21 Xu - Dog | 292.5 - 307.5 ° (yin) |
| 22 Qian - Heaven Trigram | 307.5 - 322.5 ° (yang) |
| 23 Hai - Pig | 322.5 - 337.5 ° (yang) |
| 24 Ren | 337.5 - 352.5 ° (yang) |
Chinese Astrology: BaZi Suanming
| Ba zi | Eight Characters Astrology |
| Si zhu | Four pillars of Destiny astrology |
| Ming li | Fate calculation |
| Shi | Output |
| Bi | Compare, parallel |
| Guan | Power |
| Cai | Wealth |
| Yin | Resource |
Chinese Astrology: The Ten Heavenly Stems (Shi Tian Gan)
| 1 Jia | Bud - the sign of growth, Thumbnail. Helmet. |
| 2 Yi | Sprout - the spread of growth, bursting forth from Mother Earth |
| 3 Bing | Concentrated growth like fire in the house. |
| 4 Ding | Maturity, solidity, Heavens kiss. Bee sting. |
| 5 Wu | Flourishing and nuturing. |
| 6 Ji | Full bloom |
| 7 Geng | Harvesting and abundance. Fullness leading to change |
| 8 Xin | Dead heading, reformation. |
| 9 Ren | Sustenance, supporting life. |
| 10 Gui | Regenerating roots and preparation for spring. |
Chinese Astrology: The Twelve Earthly Branches (Shier Di Zhi)
| Di zhi | earthly branches |
| 1 Zi - Rat | the young shoot of a plant, the gate of yin and yang. |
| 2 Chou - Ox | the young growing plant supported by a stick |
| 3 Yin - Tiger | Celebration of spring and New Year |
| 4 Mao - Rabbit | Life springing forth. Spring equinox. |
| 5 Chen - Dragon | Pregnant and timid. Easter. |
| 6 Si - Snake | 7 months pregnant with fully formed embryo. |
| 7 Wu - Horse | Summer solstice. height of yang cycle and beginning of yin. |
| 8 Wei - Sheep | Big tree with solid branches. |
| 9 Shen - Monkey | Expansion. |
| 10 You - Rooster | Harvest, celebration. |
| 11 Xu Dog | Clearing and preparation. |
| 12 Hai - Pig | Conception, mating of yin with yang |