蓝 (lán) — blue
Definition
蓝 (lán) is the standard modern word for 'blue'. 青 is broader and older, covering greens and blues together — use 蓝 when you specifically mean blue.
adjective
blue
Examples
- 。Wǒ xǐ huan lán sè.I like blue.
- 蓝。Nà ge bēi zi shì lán de.That cup is blue.
- 蓝。Tā chuān le yí jiàn lán chèn shān.He is wearing a blue shirt.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān藍lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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