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Word

颜色 (yán sè) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 2

颜色 (yán sè) is a Chinese word: color. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 颜色

名 míng noun

color

这朵花的颜色很漂亮。

zhè duǒ huā de yán sè hěn piào liang

The color of this flower is very beautiful.

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Word breakdown

颜 yán — appearance, countenance (contributes to visual aspect)

Words with this character (2)

色 sè — color, hue (core meaning)

Words with this character (23)
  • 1 白色 bái sè — white HSK 2
    • 白 white (the color concept)
    • 色 color (specifies it refers to the color)
    Example

    她今天穿了一件白色的衣服。

    tā jīn tiān chuān le yī jiàn bái sè de yī fu

    She wore a white piece of clothing today.

  • 2 红色 hóng sè — red HSK 2
    • 红 red (the color hue)
    • 色 color
    Example

    她穿着红色的裙子。

    tā chuān zhe hóng sè de qún zi

    She's wearing a red skirt.

  • 3 绿色 lǜ sè — green HSK 2
    • 绿 green (the color itself)
    • 色 color (makes it a noun referring to the color/shade)
    Example

    春天来了，树叶变成了绿色。

    chūn tiān lái le shù yè biàn chéng le lǜ sè

    Spring has come, and the tree leaves have turned green.

  • 4 黑色 hēi sè — black HSK 2
    • 黑 black (the color)
    • 色 color
    Example

    他穿着黑色的衣服。

    tā chuān zhe hēi sè de yī fu

    He is wearing black clothes.

  • 5 黄色 huáng sè — yellow HSK 3
    • 黄 yellow (the hue)
    • 色 color
    Example

    她穿了一件黄色的衣服。

    tā chuān le yī jiàn huáng sè de yī fu

    She wore a yellow piece of clothing.

Show more (+18)
  • 6 景色 jǐng sè — scenery HSK 4
    • 景 scene, view
    • 色 color, appearance
    Example

    这里的景色很美。

    zhè lǐ de jǐng sè hěn měi

    The scenery here is very beautiful.

  • 7 五颜六色 wǔ yán liù sè — colorful, multicolored HSK 5
    • 五 five (representing many/various)
    • 颜 color, hue
    • 六 six (representing many/various)
    • 色 color, shade
    Example

    花园里的花朵五颜六色，非常美丽。

    huā yuán lǐ de huā duǒ wǔ yán liù sè fēi cháng měi lì

    The flowers in the garden are colorful and very beautiful.

  • 8 出色 chū sè — outstanding HSK 5
    • 出 to exceed, to stand out
    • 色 quality, appearance
    Example

    她的表现非常出色。

    tā de biǎo xiàn fēi cháng chū sè

    Her performance was outstanding.

  • 9 彩色 cǎi sè — colored HSK 5
    • 彩 color, variegated
    • 色 color, hue
    Example

    彩色铅笔很好用。

    cǎi sè qiān bǐ hěn hǎo yòng

    Colored pencils are very useful.

  • 10 灰色 huī sè — gray HSK 5
    Example

    他穿着一件灰色的外套。

    tā chuān zhe yī jiàn huī sè de wài tào

    He is wearing a gray coat.

  • 11 特色 tè sè — characteristic HSK 5
    • 特 special, distinctive, unique
    • 色 feature, characteristic, quality
    Example

    这家餐厅的特色菜是北京烤鸭。

    zhè jiā cān tīng de tè sè cài shì Běi jīng kǎo yā

    This restaurant's specialty dish is Peking duck.

  • 12 脸色 liǎn sè — complexion, facial expression HSK 5
    • 脸 face
    • 色 color, appearance
    Example

    她今天脸色不太好。

    tā jīn tiān liǎn sè bù tài hǎo

    She doesn't look well today.

  • 13 色彩 sè cǎi — color HSK 5
    • 色 color, hue
    • 彩 colorfulness, brilliance
    Example

    秋天的色彩非常美丽。

    qiū tiān de sè cǎi fēi cháng měi lì

    The colors of autumn are very beautiful.

  • 14 角色 jué sè — role HSK 5
    • 角 role, part (in performance)
    • 色 character, appearance (theatrical sense)
    Example

    他在电影中扮演一个重要角色。

    tā zài diàn yǐng zhōng bàn yǎn yí gè zhòng yào jué sè

    He plays an important role in the movie.

  • 15 棕色 zōng sè — brown HSK 6
    • 棕 palm tree/palm fiber; contributes the brown shade
    • 色 color; indicates this is a color term
    Example

    他穿着一件棕色的外套。

    tā chuān zhe yī jiàn zōng sè de wài tào

    He's wearing a brown coat.

  • 16 形形色色 xíng xíng sè sè — all kinds of HSK 7
    • 形 form, shape (first instance for emphasis)
    • 形 form, shape (repeated for emphasis and completeness)
    • 色 color, type, variety (first instance for emphasis)
    • 色 color, type, variety (repeated for emphasis and completeness)
    Example

    街上有形形色色的人。

    jiē shàng yǒu xíng xíng sè sè de rén

    There are all kinds of people on the street.

  • 17 有声有色 yǒu shēng yǒu sè — vivid and dramatic HSK 7
    • 有 to have (first part of parallel structure)
    • 声 sound, voice (auditory element)
    • 有 to have (second part of parallel structure)
    • 色 color (visual element)
    Example

    他讲故事总是有声有色，大家都爱听。

    tā jiǎng gù shi zǒng shì yǒu shēng yǒu sè dà jiā dōu ài tīng

    He always tells stories vividly and dramatically, everyone loves to listen.

  • 18 本色 běn sè — true nature, true colors HSK 7
    • 本 original, fundamental, inherent
    • 色 color, appearance, character, quality
    Example

    他终于露出了本色。

    tā zhōng yú lù chū le běn sè

    He finally showed his true colors.

  • 19 气色 qì sè — complexion HSK 7
    • 气 vital energy, health status
    • 色 color, appearance
    Example

    你今天气色很好。

    nǐ jīn tiān qì sè hěn hǎo

    You look well today.

  • 20 物色 wù sè — to look for HSK 7
    • 物 thing, object, person (being sought)
    • 色 to examine, to observe (appearance)
    Example

    公司正在物色新的经理。

    gōng sī zhèng zài wù sè xīn de jīng lǐ

    The company is looking for a new manager.

  • 21 眼色 yǎn sè — hint (with eyes) HSK 7
    • 眼 eye (the organ used to give the signal)
    • 色 expression/look (the appearance or signal conveyed)
    Example

    他给我使了个眼色，让我别说话。

    tā gěi wǒ shǐ le gè yǎn sè ràng wǒ bié shuō huà

    He gave me a hint with his eyes, telling me not to speak.

  • 22 绘声绘色 huì shēng huì sè — vividly and dramatically HSK 7
    • 绘 to depict, to paint
    • 声 sound, voice
    • 绘 to depict, to paint
    • 色 color, visual appearance
    Example

    他绘声绘色地讲述了那次冒险经历。

    tā huì shēng huì sè de jiǎng shù le nà cì mào xiǎn jīng lì

    He vividly and dramatically recounted that adventure.

  • 23 逊色 xùn sè — inferior to HSK 7
    • 逊 inferior, to yield to, to be less than
    • 色 quality, appearance, standard
    Example

    新产品的质量并不逊色于进口产品。

    xīn chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng bìng bù xùn sè yú jìn kǒu chǎn pǐn

    The quality of the new product is not inferior to imported products.

Structure & writing
1 颜 yán — facial expression; countenance

颜 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

1.1 产 chǎn — to give birth
产 is a component in 3 characters
HSK 2
颜 yán facial expression; countenance
HSK 7
萨 sà a surname 铲 chǎn shovel; spatula (a flat or scoop-shaped tool with a long handle, usually made of iron)
1.2 彡 shān — stripes, markings, decorative pattern
彡 is a component in 11 characters
HSK 1
影 yǐng shadow; silhouette formed when an object blocks light; vague image or impression
HSK 2
颜 yán facial expression; countenance
HSK 3
参 cān to join; to participate (in an activity) 衫 shān upper garment, unlined jacket 须 xū must; necessary (auxiliary verb)
HSK 4
修 xiū to decorate and tidy up, making neat and attractive 彩 cǎi various colors; color
HSK 5
形 xíng appearance; shape 珍 zhēn treasure; precious thing
HSK 7
彬 bīn refined and cultured (see "彬彬") 彰 zhāng obvious; prominent
1.3 页 yè — page, sheet (of a book, painting, paper, etc.)
页 is a component in 26 characters
HSK 1
题 tí title; heading of a poem, essay, or speech
HSK 2
颜 yán facial expression; countenance
HSK 3
须 xū must; necessary (auxiliary verb) 顾 gù to turn and look; to look at
HSK 4
烦 fán vexed, irritated 硕 shuò large; tall and big 项 xiàng (lit.) back of the neck/nape 顺 shùn facing the same direction; opposite of 逆 顿 dùn to pause briefly
Show more HSK 4 characters (+2)
预 yù in advance; beforehand 频 pín repeatedly; frequently; many times in succession
HSK 5
领 lǐng neck; throat 颗 kē measure word for small, round or granular objects
HSK 6
顶 dǐng the top or highest part of a person or object 顽 wán stupid; ignorant 颖 yǐng awn-bearing husk of certain grasses (e.g. rice, wheat) 额 é forehead (of a person or animal)
HSK 7
嚣 xiāo noisy; clamorous 顷 qǐng unit of area equal to 100 亩 (approx. 6.6667 hectares) 颁 bān to issue; to promulgate 颂 sòng to praise, to extol someone's virtues 颇 pō (lit.) biased; not upright
Show more HSK 7 characters (+4)
颊 jiá cheek; the part of the face below the cheekbone 颓 tuí to collapse, to crumble 颠 diān top of something tall and upright 颤 chàn to tremble; to shiver

Stroke order

2 色 sè — color; visual impression produced by light emitted or reflected from objects
色 is a component in 2 characters
HSK 4
绝 jué to sever; to cut off
HSK 6
艳 yàn bright and colorful; vivid and beautiful

consists of

2.1 ⺈ xiàng — knife/blade radical
⺈ is a component in 8 characters
HSK 2
色 sè color; visual impression produced by light emitted or reflected from objects
HSK 3
角 jiǎo horn (hard growth on an animal's head, typically long, curved, and pointed)
HSK 4
免 miǎn to remove; to eliminate 危 wēi unsafe, dangerous (opposite of 安) 尔 ěr (lit.) you (second-person pronoun) 象 xiàng elephant (the large mammal) 负 fù to carry on one's back
HSK 6
龟 guī turtle; tortoise (reptile with a hard shell, short limbs, and retractable head and limbs)
2.2 巴 bā — to hope for; to long for; to expect
Xpinyin
巴 is a component in 9 characters
HSK 1
吧 ba sentence-final particle softening tone of imperatives; expressing suggestion, consultation, command, or request 爸 bà (colloq.) dad; father
HSK 2
色 sè color; visual impression produced by light emitted or reflected from objects
HSK 3
把 bǎ to hold; to grasp 爬 pá to crawl; to creep (of insects, reptiles, or people moving on hands and feet)
HSK 5
肥 féi fat; containing much fat (opposite of 'lean'; generally not used for people except in 肥胖, 减肥)
HSK 7
疤 bā scar left after a wound or sore heals 芭 bā see 芭蕉, a herbaceous plant with broad leaves; its fruit, similar to a banana, is edible 靶 bǎ target used for shooting practice

Stroke order