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无色 (wú sè) — colorless

Definition

Used as both 'colorless' (lacking color, usually with 的) and figuratively 'colorless' in writing — meaning dull, flat, lacking vivid detail or personality. The figurative sense matters more at HSK 7.

verb
colorless

Examples

  • 无色。
    Zhè zhǒng yè tǐ shì wú sè de.
    This liquid is colorless.
  • 无色。
    Kōng qì kàn qǐ lái shì wú sè de.
    Air looks colorless.
  • 无色，。
    Tā de miáo shù fēi cháng wú sè, méi yǒu xì jié.
    His description was very colorless, lacking details.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

无wúwithout
色sècolor

无色 pairs 无 (without) and 色 (color), giving colorless.

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 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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 →
Appears in
Colors

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