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灰色 (huī sè) — (noun) gray (the color); (adjective) gray, gray-colored; (adjective, figurative) gloomy, pessimistic, ambiguous

Definition

灰色 means 'gray' — the color, plus figurative uses ('gloomy' future, an 'ambiguous' answer). As a standalone color word it's the everyday term; 灰 on its own usually means ash/dust, and only means gray as part of compounds.

noun
gray (the color)(adjective, figurative) gloomypessimisticambiguous
adjective
graygray-colored

Examples

  • 灰色。
    Zhè jiàn huī sè wài tào kàn qǐ lái hěn dà fāng.
    This gray coat looks very elegant.
  • 灰色，。
    Wèi lái suī rán yǒu diǎn huī sè, dàn wǒ men bù néng fàng qì.
    Although the future is a bit gloomy, we can't give up.
  • 灰色，。
    Tā de huí dá hěn huī sè, méi shuō míng bai dào dǐ tóng yì hái shì fǎn duì.
    His answer was ambiguous — he didn't say clearly whether he agreed or opposed.

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.

灰huīgray
色sècolor

灰 gray and 色 color form the name of the color gray.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

灰 shows 火 (fire) that can be touched by 又 (hand), meaning ash.

Open 灰 →

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 5Colors

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