黄 (huáng) — yellow (the color)
Definition
黄 is the basic word for the color yellow; on its own it also means 'pornographic / obscene' (formal). 黄色 is the noun phrase 'the color yellow' and the more common term for obscene content.
noun
yellow (the color)
Examples
- 。Zhè jiàn yī fu shì huáng sè de.This piece of clothing is yellow.
- 。Qiū tiān de shù yè biàn chéng huáng sè le.The autumn leaves turn yellow.
- 。Zhè duǒ huā shì huáng sè de.This flower is yellow.
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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.
Appears in
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