靛蓝 (diàn lán) — indigo (deep blue color or dye)

Definition

noun

indigo (deep blue color or dye)

靛蓝。
Zhè zhǒng bù liào shì yòng diàn lán rǎn chéng de.
This fabric is dyed with indigo.
靛蓝。
Tiān kōng shì chún jìng de diàn lán sè.
The sky is a pure indigo color.
靛蓝。
Huà jiā zài zuò pǐn zhōng dà liàng shǐ yòng le diàn lán.
The artist used a lot of indigo in the work.

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.

靛diànindigo

靛 indigo and 蓝 blue give the deep blue of indigo.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 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.