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白色 (bái sè) — white (color)

Definition

白色 is the noun for the color 'white' — a thing/quality, not a description of one object (use 白 for that). For pink say 粉红色; 素 covers plain/unadorned, not color.

noun
white (color)

Examples

  • 白色。
    Wǒ xǐ huan bái sè de huā.
    I like white flowers.
  • 白色。
    Tā mǎi le yí jiàn bái sè de yī fu.
    She bought a white piece of clothing.
  • 白色。
    Zhè zhī māo shì bái sè de.
    This cat is white.

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.

白báiwhite
色sècolor

白 specifies the color 色, giving white.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

白 is thought to picture either an acorn or a human head.

Open 白 →

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
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