浅绿色 (qiǎn lǜ sè) — light green

Definition

noun
light green

Examples

  • 浅绿色。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu shì qiǎn lǜ sè de.
    This piece of clothing is light green.
  • 浅绿色。
    Chūn tiān shù yè huì biàn chéng qiǎn lǜ sè.
    In spring, the leaves turn light green.
  • 浅绿色。
    Tā xuǎn le qiǎn lǜ sè lái fěn shuā shū fáng.
    She chose light green to paint the study.

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.

浅绿light green
浅qiǎnlight绿lǜgreen
偏正Modifier + head
色sècolor

浅绿 gives the light-green shade, and 色 names it as a 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 淺; 浅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān淺qiǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 淺 pairs 氵 (water) with 戔 to give the sound; 浅 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 浅 →

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù綠lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 绿 →

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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