色 sè color
color; scenery; expression
How to remember 色: ⺈ knife top + 巴 wait for = color. The girl spreads paint with the top of a knife and has to wait for each layer to dry before choosing the next color.
Component breakdown
色 = ⺈ knife top + 巴 wait for
- ⺈ knife top
- 巴 wait for
The girl spreads paint with the top of a knife and has to wait for each layer to dry before choosing the next color.
How it came to be
One figure bent close over another, kneeling. The old sense is the look on a face when somebody is being watched, and from the face it moved out to the colour of anything.
How it is used
- "Color": 颜色 (yánsè) color, 红色 (hóngsè) red, 什么颜色 (shénme yánsè) what color. Attach 色 to a hue word: 蓝色 (lánsè) blue.
- Extends to scenery and expression: 景色 (jǐngsè) scenery, 脸色 (liǎnsè) complexion/mood. 出色 (chūsè) = outstanding.
Characters built with 色
Words with 色
- 颜色yánsècolorHSK 2
- 白色báisèwhiteHSK 2
- 红色hóngsèred (color)HSK 2
- 绿色lǜsègreenHSK 2
- 黑色hēisèblackHSK 2
- 黄色huángsèyellowHSK 3
- 景色jǐngsèsceneryHSK 4
- 五颜六色wǔyán-liùsèmulticoloredHSK 5
- 出色chūsèremarkableHSK 5
- 彩色cǎisècolorHSK 5
- 灰色huīsègrayHSK 5
- 特色tèsèa characteristicHSK 5
- 脸色liǎnsècomplexionHSK 5
- 色彩sècǎitintHSK 5
- 角色juésèroleHSK 5
- 棕色zōngsèbrownHSK 6
- 有声有色yǒushēng-yǒusèhaving sound and color (idiom)HSK 7
- 本色běnsèinherent qualitiesHSK 7
- 气色qìsècomplexionHSK 7
- 物色wùsèto look forHSK 7
- 眼色yǎnsèsignal made with one's eyesHSK 7
- 形形色色xíngxíngsèsèall kinds ofHSK 8
- 绘声绘色huìshēng-huìsèvivid and colorful (idiom)HSK 9
- 逊色xùnsèinferiorHSK 9
Example sentences
- 你喜欢什么颜色的气球？ Nǐ xǐhuan shénme yánsè de qìqiú?What color balloons do you like?
- 不同的颜色一眼就能区别出来。 Bùtóng de yánsè yīyǎn jiù néng qūbié chūlái.You can differentiate between different colors with one glance.
- 她穿着白色的袜子。 Tā chuānzhe báisè de wàzi.She's wearing white socks.
- 这里有很多彩色铅笔。 Zhèli yǒu hěn duō cǎisè qiānbǐ.There are many colored pencils.