红蓝 (hóng lán) — magenta plant (Peristrophe bivalvis, Peristrophe roxburghiana); safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)

Definition

红蓝 (gōng) refers to plants used historically to produce red dye and pigment — mainly safflower and a type of Peristrophe. The name combines the two colors of the dye (红 red + 蓝 blue/indigo process), not the colors of the plant itself.

noun
magenta plant (Peristrophe bivalvis, Peristrophe roxburghiana)safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)

Examples

  • 红蓝。
    Zhè zhǒng hóng lán kě yǐ yòng lái rǎn sè.
    This type of magenta plant can be used for dyeing.
  • 红蓝。
    hóng lán Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de zhōng yào cái.
    The safflower is an important Chinese medicinal material.
  • 红蓝。
    Gǔ dài rén yòng hóng lán zhì zào hóng sè yán liào.
    Ancient people used the magenta plant to make red pigment.

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hóngred
蓝lánblue

红 means red and 蓝 means blue; together they name the red-blue plant.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān藍lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.

Open 蓝 →

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