彩画 (cǎi huà) — colored painting (on traditional Chinese architecture); painted decoration

Definition

Painted decoration on traditional Chinese architecture (palaces, temples). Distinct from 壁画 (mural painting on walls) and 壁画-style art: 彩画 decorates structural beams and eaves as a craft, not a freestanding artwork.

noun
colored painting (on traditional Chinese architecture)painted decoration
Measure word · 幅

Examples

  • 彩画，。
    Gù gōng lǐ de cǎi huà fēi cháng jīng měi, tǐ xiàn le gǔ dài gōng jiàng de gāo chāo jì yì.
    The colored paintings in the Forbidden City are very exquisite, reflecting the superb skill of ancient craftsmen.
  • 彩画，。
    Zhè zuò sì miào de cǎi huà bǎo cún dé hěn hǎo, sè cǎi yī jiù xiān yàn.
    The colored paintings in this temple are well preserved, and the colors are still bright.
  • 彩画，。
    Zhōng guó gǔ jiàn zhù de cǎi huà bù jǐn měi guān, hái yǒu fáng cháo fáng fǔ de zuò yòng.
    The colored paintings on ancient Chinese architecture are not only beautiful but also serve to protect against moisture and decay.

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.

彩cǎicolor
画huàpainting

彩 gives the sense of color and 画 is a painting, together meaning a colored painting.

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi彩cǎi
Same sound today

彩 puts 采, which gives the sound, next to 彡, the three-stroke mark that carries the meaning.

Open 彩 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùbrush
Sound part声符shēngfú
規
規guī畫huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

Open 画 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.