dry, masculine

乾 is composed of a variant of 倝 (fluttering flags) and 乙　(second). 倝 is a pictograph of the sun rising along a flagpole at sunrise, while 乙 is a pictograph of a bird’s wing. Therefore, 乾 conveys the idea that at the moment of sunrise, the dew on the flag evaporates due to the heat and disperses as quickly as a bird’s wing in flight. It means lacking moisture or being dry. In addition, the rising of the sun restores light to the earth after darkness, so 乾 also means masculine or yang.