桔黄色 (jú huáng sè) — tangerine yellow, saffron yellow (a yellowish-orange color)

Definition

noun
tangerine yellowsaffron yellow (a yellowish-orange color)

Examples

  • 桔黄色，。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn jú huáng sè de wài tào, fēi cháng xiǎn yǎn.
    She wore a tangerine yellow coat that really stood out.
  • 桔黄色。
    Qiū tiān de shù yè cóng lǜ sè biàn chéng le jú huáng sè.
    Autumn leaves change from green to saffron yellow.
  • 桔黄色。
    Huà jiā yòng le jú huáng sè lái huà xī yáng de yán sè.
    The painter used tangerine yellow to paint the color of the setting sun.

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.

桔黄tangerine yellow
桔jútangerine黄huángyellow
偏正Modifier + head
色sècolor

桔 tangerine and 黄 yellow make a tangerine-yellow shade, and 色 is 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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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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