单色 (dān sè) — monochrome, monochromatic, black and white | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

monochromemonochromaticblack and white

Examples

单色。
Zhè zhāng dān sè zhào piàn hěn yǒu yì shù gǎn.
This black-and-white photo has a strong artistic feel.
单色。
Dǎ yìn jī zhǐ néng dǎ yìn dān sè wén dàng.
The printer can only print monochrome documents.
单色。
Tā xǐ huan yòng dān sè lái biǎo xiàn guāng yǐng duì bǐ.
He likes to use monochrome to show contrast of light and shadow.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

单色 means a 色 that is 单, one color only.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

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