深棕色 (shēn zōng sè) — dark brown (color)

Definition

noun

dark brown (color)

深棕色。
Tā chuān zhuó yí jiàn shēn zōng sè de dà yī.
He is wearing a dark brown coat.
深棕色。
Zhè jiān bàn gōng shì de jiā jù dōu shì shēn zōng sè de.
The furniture in this office is all dark brown.
深棕色。
Wǒ xǐ huan yòng shēn zōng sè de yóu qī lái shuā shū jià.
I like to use dark brown paint for painting bookshelves.

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.

棕色brown color

偏正Modifier + head

深 gives dark, 棕 gives brown, and 色 gives 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

𥥍

𥥍𥥍深shēn

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

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

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

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

㚇

㚇㚇棕zōng

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

棕 is built from 木 (wood) and 宗, which gives the sound.

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.