红粉 (hóng fěn) — rouge and powder (cosmetics); (literary) women, the fair sex

Definition

Literary/poetic word meaning 'rouge and powder' (cosmetics) and, by extension, the women who use them — a romantic, old-fashioned image, not used in everyday speech.

noun
rouge and powder (cosmetics)(literary) womenthe fair sex

Examples

  • 红粉。
    Gǔ dài nǚ zǐ cháng yòng hóng fěn huà zhuāng.
    Ancient women often used rouge and powder to apply makeup.
  • 红粉。
    Zhè shǒu shī miáo xiě le hóng fěn jiā rén de měi lì.
    This poem depicts the beauty of a woman adorned with rouge and powder.
  • 红粉，。
    hóng fěn Zhī fěn, zì gǔ biàn shì nǚ zǐ zhuāng shì zhī wù.
    Rouge and powder have been women's adornments since ancient times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

红hóngrouge
粉fěnpowder

红 refers to rouge or red cosmetics, and 粉 means powder; together they name women's cosmetics.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

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