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气色 (qì sè) — complexion (as an indicator of health or mood)

Definition

气色 refers specifically to the healthy look of someone's face — their skin tone and color as a sign of health. Compare 脸色, which covers both skin color and facial expression/mood, and 容颜, which means overall facial appearance or looks.

noun
complexion (as an indicator of health or mood)

Examples

  • 气色，？
    Nǐ zuì jìn qì sè zhēn hǎo, shì bu shì jīng cháng duàn liàn?
    You've been looking really well lately — have you been exercising regularly?
  • 气色。
    Tā shēng bìng zhī hòu qì sè chà le hěn duō.
    His complexion was very poor after he got sick.
  • ，气色。
    Lǎo rén suī rán qī shí duō suì le, dàn qì sè yī jiù hóng rùn.
    Although the old man is over seventy, his complexion is still rosy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

气qìvital spirit
色sèvisible color

气色 brings together 气 and 色, each contributing to the visible look of health or mood.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Appearance

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