苍 (cāng) — (bound form) dark green, blue, gray, or ashy (in literary compounds); (surname) Cang
Definition
苍 (cāng) is a bound literary morph meaning pale, gray, or blue-green — it never stands alone, only in set compounds like 苍白 (pale) or 苍天 (the heavens). Carries a classical, written tone.
bound form
dark greenbluegrayor ashy (in literary compounds)(surname) Cang
Examples
- ，。Tā de liǎn sè hěn cāng bái, hǎo xiàng shēng bìng le.His face is very pale, as if he's sick.
- ，。cāng Tiān zài shàng, wǒ men yào chéng shí.The heavens are above; we must be honest.
- 。Zhè wèi lǎo rén kàn qǐ lái hěn cāng lǎo.This old man looks very aged.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 蒼; 苍 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng蒼cāng
Same sound today
The traditional form 蒼 pairs 艸 (grass) with 倉 as a sound part. The simplified 苍 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.