深褐色 (shēn hè sè) — dark brown

Definition

noun
dark brown

Examples

  • 深褐色。
    Zhè jiàn wài tào shì shēn hè sè de.
    This jacket is dark brown.
  • 深褐色。
    Tā yǒu yì shuāng shēn hè sè de yǎn jing.
    She has a pair of dark brown eyes.
  • 深褐色。
    shēn hè sè De tóu fa hěn piào liang.
    Dark brown hair is very beautiful.

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.

深shēndeep
褐色brown color
褐hèbrown色sècolor
偏正Modifier + head

深 gives the sense of deep, and 褐色 names a brown color; together they denote dark brown.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 褐 →

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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