鲜红色 (xiān hóng sè) — bright red, scarlet

Definition

noun

bright redscarlet

鲜红色。
Tā chuān le yí jiàn xiān hóng sè de qún zi.
She wore a bright red dress.
鲜红色。
Qiū tiān de fēng yè biàn chéng le xiān hóng sè.
The autumn maple leaves turned bright red.
鲜红色。
Zhè fú huà yòng le hěn duō xiān hóng sè.
This painting uses a lot of bright red.

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.

鲜红bright red

偏正Modifier + head

The 色 is 鲜红, giving a bright red color.

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 鮮; 鲜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

魚魚yúfish

Sound part声符shēngfú

羴

羴shān鮮xiān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鮮 pairs 魚 (fish) with 羴, which gives the sound; this note is about 鮮, not 鲜.

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

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.

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

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.