色 (sè) — color, hue; look, appearance, scene; kind, sort, variety
Definition
A formal noun that is polysemous at this level: 'color/hue', 'facial expression/scene' (as in 脸色), and 'kind/sort/variety' (formal synonym of 种类). In everyday speech these senses are usually expressed by 颜色, 脸色/神情, and 种类 instead.
noun
colorhuelookappearancescenekindsortvariety
Measure word · 种
Easily confused
- 芭bālook-alike(bound morpheme) used in 芭蕉 and in transliterations
- 瑟sèsound-alikeancient twenty-five-stringed plucked instrument
- 绝juélook-alike(verb) to cut off; to vanish; to become extinct
- 涩sèsound-alikeastringent, puckery (of taste, e.g., unripe fruit, strong tea)
- 负fùlook-alike(verb) to bear, to carry (a burden, responsibility, debt)
Examples
- 。Zhè zhǒng yán sè hěn piào liang.This color is very pretty.
- 。Tā de liǎn sè hěn nán kàn.Her facial expression is very unpleasant.
- 。Tā xǐ huan gè sè shuǐ guǒ.He likes all kinds of fruit.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
- 卩卩jiékneeling person
色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.
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