紫 (zǐ) — purple
Definition
The everyday color word 'purple' — broader and more common than 朱红, which is a vivid red used in traditional architecture and painting.
adjective
purple
Examples
- 。Tā chuān le yí jiàn zǐ sè de qún zi.She wore a purple dress.
- 。Zhè zhǒng zǐ sè de huā hěn xiāng.This kind of purple flower is very fragrant.
- 。Bàng wǎn de tiān kōng biàn chéng le zǐ sè.The evening sky turned purple.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
此
此cǐ紫zǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
紫 is made of 糸, a silk-related part, and 此, which gives the sound cǐ.
Appears in
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