桔红色 (jú hóng sè) — tangerine red; orange-red (a color between orange and red)

Definition

noun
tangerine redorange-red (a color between orange and red)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 桔红色。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn jú hóng sè de wài tào.
    She wore a tangerine-red coat.
  • 桔红色。
    Qiū tiān de fēng yè biàn chéng le jú hóng sè.
    The autumn maple leaves turned tangerine red.
  • 桔红色，。
    Wǒ xǐ huan jú hóng sè, yīn wèi tā hěn wēn nuǎn.
    I like tangerine red because it's very warm.

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.

桔红
桔jútangerine红hóngred
偏正Modifier + head
色sècolor

Tangerine-red color: 桔 points to the fruit’s hue, 红 to redness, and 色 to color.

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí桔
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桔 is built from 木, meaning wood, and 吉, which supplies the sound.

Open 桔 →

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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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