底色 (dǐ sè) — background color, base color (in art or design); (figurative) underlying quality or foundation

Definition

Literally 'bottom color': the base color on which other colors are applied, used in art and design. Figuratively, it refers to an underlying tone, quality, or attitude that colors everything else.

noun
background colorbase color (in art or design)(figurative) underlying quality or foundation

Examples

  • 底色，。
    Zhè fú huà de dǐ sè shì dàn lán sè, gěi rén yì zhǒng píng jìng de gǎn jué.
    The background color of this painting is light blue, giving people a calm feeling.
  • 底色。
    Shè jì shī xuǎn zé le bái sè zuò wéi wǎng yè de dǐ sè.
    The designer chose white as the background color of the webpage.
  • 底色，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de dǐ sè shì bēi shāng de, dàn jié jú què chōng mǎn xī wàng.
    The undertone of this film is sad, but the ending is full of hope.

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.

底dǐbottom
色sècolor

底 means bottom or base and 色 means color, giving the color underneath or the underlying tone.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

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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