原色 (yuán sè) — primary color

Definition

noun
primary color

Examples

  • 、、原色。
    Hóng, huáng, lán shì sān zhǒng zuì jī běn de yuán sè.
    Red, yellow, and blue are the three most basic primary colors.
  • 原色、、。
    Yìn shuā zhōng cháng yòng de yuán sè shì qīng, pǐn hóng, huáng.
    The primary colors commonly used in printing are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
  • 原色。
    Zhè fú huà jǐn yòng le liǎng zhǒng yuán sè lái tiáo pèi suǒ yǒu yán sè.
    This painting used only two primary colors to mix all the shades.

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.

原yuánprimary
色sècolor

原 (primary) and 色 (color) name the basic colors from which others are mixed.

Characters in this word

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

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

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.

Open 色 →

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