橙红色 (chéng hóng sè) — orange-red color, reddish orange

Definition

noun

orange-red colorreddish orange

橙红色。
Zhè jiàn yī fu shì chéng hóng sè de.
This piece of clothing is orange-red.
橙红色。
Qiū tiān de yè zi biàn chéng le chéng hóng sè.
In autumn, leaves turn orange-red.
橙红色。
Tā mǎi le yí gè chéng hóng sè shū bāo.
He bought an orange-red backpack.

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.

橙红orange-red

联合Side by side

橙 and 红 give the orange-red hue, and 色 names a 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.

木登橙

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

登

登dēng橙chéng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

橙 pairs 木 (tree; wood) with 登, which gives its sound.

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.