色

See also: 巴

色	U+8272, 色 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8272

← 艱
[U+8271]

CJK Unified Ideographs

艳 →
[U+8273]

⾊	U+2F8A, ⾊ KANGXI RADICAL COLOR

← ⾉
[U+2F89]

Kangxi Radicals

⾋ →
[U+2F8B]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

See images of
Radical 139 色

色 (Kangxi radical 139, 色+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 弓日山 (NAU), four-corner 2771₇, composition ⿱⺈巴)

Kangxi radical #139, ⾊.
Shuowen Jiezi radical №340

Derived characters

Appendix:Chinese radical/色
𠈜, 𬻖, 𠲅, 𫵺, 𢙚, 𢬘, 𣴊, 𨹔, 𨒶, 栬, 𥅺, 𥒍, 絶(绝), 𬚐, 赩, 𨉆, 𨋭, 𨠶, 銫(铯), 靘, 𤧾, 𮪀, 𫙙, 䵥, 𪗼
𨛉, 𪁅, 𤈖, 𪵼, 𤶋, 艶(艷,艳)
脃 (Exception: Only for mainland China character. Other regions contain ⿱刀巴 instead of 色)

Chinese

simp. and trad.		色
alternative forms		𢒸𣤻骰 “die” 㐌 erroneous

Wikipedia has articles on:

色 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
Sek (Southern Min)

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 色
Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (色) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
色	*srɯɡ
赩	*qʰrɯɡ

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 爪 (“claw; hand”) + 卩 (“kneeling person”) – complexion.

Shuowen interprets this character as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 人 (“person; human”) + 卩 (“etiquette”) – complexion.

Compare 印, 抑.

Sometimes, especially in folk etymology, the character is misinterpreted as a proto-form of 絕. The bottom part of the radical is unrelated to 巴.

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-r(j)ak ~ *g-jak (“ashamed; shy”), whence Burmese ရှက် (hrak, “ashamed; shy”), Japhug tɤ-zraʁ (“shame”) (Schuessler, 2007; Jacques, 2015b).

Alternatively, Schuessler (2007) connects this word to Mizo sâr (“prismatic colours seen in the sky in fine weather; to be healthy-looking, ruddy”), which would point to a form *sər-k from which the Old Chinese was derived.

彩 (OC *s.r̥ˤəʔ, “colour”) may be a dialectal variant (Baxter, 1992; Baxter and Sagart, 2014).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): sè, shǎi, shè (se⁴, shai³, she⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄜˋ, ㄕㄞˇ, ㄕㄜˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): se²

(Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): sěi

(Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): se̊q

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): сый (sɨy, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sik¹

(Dongguan, Jyutping++): seak⁷

(Taishan, Wiktionary): set²

(Yangjiang, Jyutping++): sik³
Gan (Wiktionary): set⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): set

(Hailu, HRS): sed

(Meixian, Guangdong): sêd⁵
Jin (Wiktionary): sah⁴ / seh⁴
Northern Min (KCR): să̤
Eastern Min (BUC): sáik
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sek / siak / sit

(Teochew, Peng'im): sêg⁴

(Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): seg⁴
Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): sik²
Wu (Wugniu)
- (Northern): ⁷seq / ⁷seoq / ⁷saq
- (Jinhua): ⁷seq
Xiang
(Changsha, Wiktionary): se⁶

(Loudi, Wiktionary): se²

(Hengyang, Wiktionary): se⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, literary, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sè
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄜˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sè
  - Wade–Giles: sê⁴
  - Yale: sè
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: seh
  - Palladius: сэ (sɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɤ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, colloquial, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shǎi
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄞˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shǎi
  - Wade–Giles: shai³
  - Yale: shǎi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shae
  - Palladius: шай (šaj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂaɪ̯²¹⁴/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (色兒／色儿)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shǎir
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄞˇㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shǎir
  - Wade–Giles: shai³-ʼrh
  - Yale: shǎir
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shaal
  - Palladius: шайр (šajr)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑɻ²¹⁴/
- (Standard Chinese, colloquial, variant)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shè
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄜˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shè
  - Wade–Giles: shê⁴
  - Yale: shè
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheh
  - Palladius: шэ (šɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤ⁵¹/

Note:

sè - all senses except “die”;
shǎi - “die; colour”;
shǎir - “colour”;
shè - “lust”.

(Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: se²
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: se
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛ²¹/
(Xi'an)
- Guanzhong Pinyin: sěi
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei²¹/
(Nanjing)
- Nanjing Pinyin: se̊q
- Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): seq⁵
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /səʔ⁵/
(Dungan)
- Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сый (sɨy, II)
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei⁵¹/
(Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: sik¹
  - Yale: sīk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sik⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: xig¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪk̚⁵/
- (Dongguan, Guancheng)
  - Jyutping++: seak⁷
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sək̚⁴⁴/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: set²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /set̚⁵⁵/
- (Yangjiang Yue, Jiangcheng)
  - Jyutping++: sik³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʃɪk̚²⁴/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: set⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛt̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: set
  - Hakka Romanization System: sed^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: sed⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /set̚²/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: sed
  - Sinological IPA: /set⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sêd⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /sɛt̚¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: sah⁴ / seh⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /saʔ²/, /səʔ²/

Note:

sah4 - vernacular;
seh4 - literary.

Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: să̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛ²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: sáik
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saiʔ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Nan'an, Yongchun, Zhangzhou, Zhangpu, Changtai, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Klang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sek
  - Tâi-lô: sik
  - Phofsit Daibuun: seg
  - IPA (Klang): /sek̚⁵³/
  - IPA (Zhangpu): /sɛk̚³²/
  - IPA (Changtai, Singapore): /sek̚³²/
  - IPA (Nan'an): /siɪk̚⁵/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Yongchun, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /siɪk̚³²/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siak
  - Tâi-lô: siak
  - Phofsit Daibuun: siag
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /siak̚⁵/
  - IPA (Hui'an): /siak̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: Longyan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sit
  - Tâi-lô: sit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sid
  - IPA (Longyan): /sit̚⁵/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sêg⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sek
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sek̚²/
- (Leizhou)
  - Leizhou Pinyin: seg⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /sek̚⁵/
Southern Pinghua
- (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
  - Jyutping++: sik²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪk̚³³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Chongming, Suzhou, Kunshan, Yixing, Changzhou, Jingjiang, Jiaxing, Tongxiang, Haining, Haiyan, Deqing, Hangzhou, Xiaoshan)
  - Wugniu: ⁷seq
  - MiniDict: seh^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁴seq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Jiading): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Chongming): /səʔ⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /səʔ⁴³/
  - Sinological IPA (Kunshan): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Yixing): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Jingjiang): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Tongxiang): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Haining): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Haiyan): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Deqing): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /səʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiaoshan): /səʔ⁵⁵/
- (Northern: Songjiang, Chuansha, Shaoxing)
  - Wugniu: ⁷seoq
  - MiniDict: seoh^入
  - Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /sʌʔ⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Chuansha): /sʌʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /səʔ⁴⁵/
- (Northern: Ningbo, Zhoushan)
  - Wugniu: ⁷saq
  - MiniDict: sah^入
  - Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /sɐʔ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /sɐʔ⁵⁵/
- (Jinhua)
  - Wugniu: ⁷seq
  - Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /səʔ⁴⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: se⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɤ̞²⁴/
- (Loudi)
  - Wiktionary: se²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /se̞¹³/
- (Hengyang)
  - Wiktionary: se⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /se²²/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 色
Mandarin	Beijing	/sɤ⁵¹/ /ʂai²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/ʂai²¹³/ /sai²¹³/ /sɤ⁵³/
	Tianjin	/sai¹³/ /sɤ⁵³/
	Jinan	/sə²¹³/ /ʂei²¹³/
	Qingdao	/ʂe⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/ʂɛ²⁴/
	Xi'an	/sei²¹/
	Xining	/sɨ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/sə¹³/
	Lanzhou	/ʂə¹³/
	Ürümqi	/sɤ⁵¹/ /sei⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/sɤ²¹³/
	Chengdu	/se³¹/
	Guiyang	/sɛ²¹/
	Kunming	/sə³¹/
	Nanjing	/səʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/sɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/saʔ²/
	Pingyao	/sʌʔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/saʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/səʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/səʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/səʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/se²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/sɛʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/sa⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/sə²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/sæ²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/sɛʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/set̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/set̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/sek̚⁵/
	Nanning	/sek̚⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/sɐk̚⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/sik̚³²/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/saiʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/sɛ²⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/sek̚²/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/tek̚⁵/

Middle Chinese: srik

Rime
Character	色
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	生 (21)
Final (韻)	職 (134)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	所力切
Baxter	srik
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃɨk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃɨk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiek̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂik̚/
Li Rong	/ʃiək̚/
Wang Li	/ʃĭək̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʂi̯ək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	she
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sik¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s.rək/

(Zhengzhang): /*srɯɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	色
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sè
Middle Chinese	‹ srik ›
Old Chinese	/*s.rək/
English	color; countenance
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	色
Reading #	1/1
No.	10989
Phonetic component	色
Rime group	職
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	色
Old Chinese	/*srɯɡ/

Definitions

色

color; tint; hue; shade (Classifier: 隻／只 c)
顏色／颜色 ― yánsè ― color

顏色兒／颜色儿 ― yánshǎir ― color

紅色／红色 ― hóngsè ― red

四色定理 ― sì sè dìnglǐ ― four color theorem
^⁜ look; expression
臉色／脸色 ― liǎnsè ― facial expression
- 子曰：「巧言令色，鮮矣仁。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  子曰：「巧言令色，鲜矣仁。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Zǐyuē: “Qiǎoyánlìngsè, xiǎn yǐ rén.” [Pinyin]
  The Master said, "Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue."
^⁜ scenery; circumstance
景色 ― jǐngsè ― scenery

夜色 ― yèsè ― night scenery
kind; sort
貨色／货色 ― huòsè ― goods; stuff; trash; rubbish; quality of goods; specification
feminine charm; beauty
姿色 ― zīsè ― good looks (of women)
lust; sexual desire
好色 ― hàosè ― to lust for women

色情 ― sèqíng ― pornography; sexual desire
(colloquial) perverted; being a pervert; lecherous
theatrical role
角色 ― juésè ― role; part
metallic content
成色 ― chéngsè ― purity (of a precious metal in an alloy)
die (a cube with numbers or symbols on each side, used in games of chance) (Classifier: 粒 c)
色子 ― shǎizi ― die
(Buddhism) rūpa (form; material element; form of existence; etc.)
色即是空，空即是色。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]
Sè jí shì kōng, kōng jí shì sè. [Pinyin]
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
(transgender slang) Short for 色普龍／色普龙; cypro (cyproterone acetate)
- 各位靠補 +色hrt 的朋友們請注意檢測自己的 E2/E1 比例 [MSC, trad.]
  各位靠补 +色hrt 的朋友们请注意检测自己的 E2/E1 比例 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2020 November 28, KhloeKkkkkkkk 的想法: 各位靠补+色hrt的朋友们请注意检测自己的… - 知乎
  gèwèi kào bǔ + sè hrt de péngyǒu men qǐng zhùyì jiǎncè zìjǐ de E2 / E1 bǐlì [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
a surname

Synonyms

(color): 顏／颜 (yán)
(perverted):

Dialectal synonyms of 好色 (“lecherous; fond of women”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		好色
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		好色
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	好色, 色
	Harbin	花
	Singapore	色
Cantonese	Guangzhou	鹹濕, 生雞
	Hong Kong	鹹濕, 淫
	Taishan	鹹濕
	Dongguan	鹹濕
	Yangjiang	鹹濕
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	鹹濕 outside the family, 扒灰 within the family
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	鹹濕
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	鹹濕
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	鹹濕
	Singapore (Guangfu)	鹹濕
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	鹹濕
	Móng Cái	鹹濕 outside the family, 扒灰 within the family
Hakka	Meixian	花, 好色, 鹹濕
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	鹹濕, 豺
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	痴哥
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	豬哥
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	痴哥
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	痴哥
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	痴哥
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	豬哥
	Senai (Hepo)	鹹濕
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	草鞋
Southern Min	Xiamen	五枝鬚, 臭臊神, 豬哥神, 𪁎哥
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	豬哥
	Quanzhou	五枝鬚, 臭臊神, 豬哥神
	Zhangzhou	五枝鬚, 臭臊神, 豬哥神, 𪁎哥, 𪁎, 貓神, 貓
	Taipei	痴哥
	Kaohsiung	不四鬼
	Yilan	豬哥, 痴哥
	Changhua (Lukang)	好色
	Taichung	風流
	Taichung (Wuqi)	好色
	Tainan	𪁎哥
	Taitung	豬哥
	Hsinchu	豬哥形
	Penghu (Magong)	𪁎哥
	Singapore (Hokkien)	痴哥, 豬哥
	Manila (Hokkien)	五枝鬚, 愛查某
	Shantou	好色, 痴哥
	Singapore (Teochew)	痴哥
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	鹹濕

(die):

Dialectal synonyms of 骰子 (“die (used in games of chance)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		骰子
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	色子, 猴子
	Taiwan	色子
	Chengde	色子
	Chifeng	色子
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	色子
	Heihe	色子
	Qiqihar	色子
	Harbin	色子
	Jiamusi	色子
	Baicheng	色子
	Changchun	色子
	Tonghua	色子
	Shenyang	色子, 猴子
	Jinzhou	色子
	Singapore	骰子
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	色子
	Tangshan	色子
	Cangzhou	色子
	Baoding	色子
	Shijiazhuang	色子
	Lijin	色子
	Jinan	色子
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	色子
	Dandong	色子
	Yantai	色子
	Yantai (Muping)	色子
	Qingdao	色子
	Zhucheng	色子
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	色子, 色兒
	Lingbao	色子
	Jining	色子
	Wanrong	色子
	Linfen	色子
	Shangqiu	骨子, 猴子
	Yuanyang	猴兒
	Zhengzhou	色兒
	Xinyang	色子
	Baihe	色子
	Xi'an	色子
	Baoji	色子
	Tianshui	色子
	Xining	色子
	Xuzhou	色子, 猴子
	Fuyang	色子, 猴子
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	色子
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	色子
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	色子, 猴子
	Lanzhou	色子, 猴子
	Dunhuang	色子
	Hami	色子
	Ürümqi	色子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	色子
	Nanchong	色子
	Dazhou	色子
	Hanyuan	色子
	Xichang	色子
	Zigong	色子
	Chongqing	色子
	Wuhan	色子, 猴子
	Yichang	色子
	Xiangyang	色子
	Tianmen	色子
	Guiyang	色子
	Zunyi	色子
	Bijie	色子
	Liping	色子
	Zhaotong	色子
	Dali	色子
	Kunming	色子
	Mengzi	色子
	Guilin	色子
	Liuzhou	色子
	Jishou	色子
	Changde	色子
	Hanzhong	色子
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	猴兒, 猴子
	Yangzhou	猴子
	Lianyungang	色子
	Lianshui	猴子
	Nantong	色兒
	Anqing	色子, 猴子
	Wuhu	猴子
	Hefei	色子
	Hong'an	色子
Cantonese	Guangzhou	色仔
	Hong Kong	色仔, 色
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	色仔
	Macau	色仔
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	色仔
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	色仔
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	色仔
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	色
	Foshan	色仔
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	色仔
	Foshan (Shunde)	色仔
	Foshan (Sanshui)	色仔
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	色子
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	色仔
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	色仔
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	色仔
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	色仔
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	色仔
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	色仔
	Taishan	色仔
	Kaiping (Chikan)	色仔
	Enping (Niujiang)	色仔
	Heshan (Yayao)	色仔
	Dongguan	色仔
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	色仔
Gan	Nanchang	色子
	Lichuan	色子
	Pingxiang	色子
Hakka	Meixian	骰仔
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	色仔
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	色仔
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	色仔
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	色仔
	Yudu	色子
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	骰仔, 猴仔, 寶斗仁
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	骰仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	骰仔, 猴仔, 寶斗仁
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	十八啦
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	輾豆
Huizhou	Jixi	寶子
Huizhou	Shexian	色子
Jin	Taiyuan	色兒, 色子
	Yangyuan	色子
	Datong	色子
	Xinzhou	色兒, 色子
	Lüliang (Lishi)	色兒
	Changzhi	色子
	Linhe	色兒
	Jining	猴子
	Hohhot	色兒
	Erenhot	色兒
	Pingshan	色子
	Zhangjiakou	色子
	Handan	猴
	Linzhou	骨了
	Suide	色子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	骰仔
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	骰
Southern Min	Xiamen	骰仔, 豆仔
	Quanzhou	骰仔, 豆仔
	Zhangzhou	骰仔, 豆仔
	Taipei	救十八
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	膏十八仔
	Kaohsiung	撚骰仔
	Yilan	撚骰仔
	Changhua (Lukang)	撚骰仔
	Taichung	十八骰仔
	Tainan	撚寶
	Hsinchu	骰九
	Kinmen	骰仔
	Penghu (Magong)	骰仔
	Manila (Hokkien)	骰仔
	Jieyang	骰
	Leizhou	骰
	Haikou	色囝
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	色囝
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	色囝
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	色子
Wu	Shanghai	骰子
	Shanghai (Chongming)	骰子
	Suzhou	骰子
	Danyang	骰子
	Hangzhou	骰子
	Ningbo	色子
	Wenzhou	骰子
Xiang	Changsha	色子
Xiang	Loudi	骰子

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (色):

→ Japanese: 色(しき) (shiki); 色(しょく) (shoku)
→ Korean: 색(色) (saek)
→ Vietnamese: sắc (色)

References

“色”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A03427
“Entry #2612”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Stroke order

Kanji

色

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Go-on: しき (shiki, Jōyō)
Kan-on: しょく (shoku, Jōyō)
Kun: いろ (iro, 色, Jōyō)、いろえ (iroe, 色)^{←いろへ (irofe, 色, historical)}
Nanori: しか (shika)、しこ (shiko)

Compounds

字(ツー)一(イー)色(ソー) (tsūīsō)
緑(リュー)一(イー)色(ソー) (ryūīsō)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
色
いろ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

色

Wikipedia ^ja

⟨iro₂⟩ → */irə/ → /iro/

From Old Japanese.

First attested in the Nihon Shoki with the meaning of color.^[1] Senses referring to a person's emotions also appear quite early on. The romance or sex senses appear from the 900s, apparently an influence from Chinese usage,^[1] and roughly comparable to the euphemistic usage of English colorful.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) いろ [ìróꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [iɾo̞]
Audio: (file)

Noun

色(いろ) • (iro)

[from 720] color
目(め)の色(いろ)が違(ちが)う猫(ねこ)
me no iro ga chigau neko
a cat that has eyes of different color
[from 797] (figurative) the metaphorical color or mood
1. one's facial coloring or expression
2. the shape of one's face or appearance; more specifically, beautiful looks or a beautiful figure
3. lively elegance, enjoyable or interesting charm
4. apparent thoughtfulness, warmheartedness
5. the feeling or mood of a thing
6. the tenor or timber of a voice or sound
7. in Noh, a section that is chanted at a medium pace; alternately, a decorative poetic section
8. in 浄瑠璃 (jōruri, “puppet show narrative”), a lively section that is neither strictly dialog nor narration, but has many elements of dialog
9. when playing the koto, pushing on a string with the fingers of the left hand to change the pitch of a note, or for vibrato
[from early 900s] something related to romantic or sexual love, particularly between genders
1. the emotions or circumstances of attraction between genders
2. extramarital relations, an affair
3. an extramarital lover
4. a prostitute
5. a red-light district
[from late 900s] the type or kind of something
(informal, slang) various specific kinds of color:
1. (informal, slang, woman's speech) lipstick or rouge
2. (informal, slang) soy sauce
3. (informal, slang) paint

Derived terms

色(いろ)う (irou)
色(いろ)色(いろ), 色々(いろいろ) (iroiro, “various”)
色(いろ)んな (ironna, “various”)
色(いろ)艶(つや) (irotsuya, “color and luster; a person's facial coloring; warmth of feeling in speech or attitude; interest or fun in speech or writing”)
色(いろ)合(あ)い (iroai), 色(いろ)合(あい) (iroai, “a shade, hue, tone; coloring”)
色(いろ)褪(あ)せる (iroaseru, “lose color, fade; fade, lose freshness, become old and musty”)
色(いろ)紙(がみ) (irogami, “colored paper”)
色(いろ)気(け) (iroke)
色(いろ)眼(め)鏡(がね) (iro megane, “colored glasses”)
色(いろ)物(もの) (iromono, “a colored item, particularly cloth or clothing; a lively and colorful variety act”)
色(いろ)好(よ)い (iroyoi, “having a beautiful figure; favorable (as in a reply or attitude)”)
色(いろ)分(わ)け, 色(いろ)分(わけ) (irowake, “to color code, to separate by color”)

赤(あか)色(いろ) (aka-iro, “red”)
青(あお)色(いろ) (ao-iro, “blue”)
黄(き)色(いろ) (ki-iro, “yellow”)
茶(ちゃ)色(いろ) (cha-iro, “brown”)
狐(きつね)色(いろ) (kitsune-iro, “reddish-brown”)
橙(だいだい)色(いろ) (daidai-iro, “orange (colour)”)
オレンジ色(いろ) (orenji-iro, “orange (colour)”)
柿(かき)色(いろ) (kaki-iro, “reddish-orange”)
紫(むらさき)色(いろ) (murasaki-iro, “purple”)
薄(うす)紫(むらさき)色(いろ) (usumurasaki-iro, “light purple, lavender”)
桃(もも)色(いろ) (momo-iro, “peach pink”)
桜(さくら)色(いろ) (sakura-iro, “light pink”)
水(みず)色(いろ) (mizu-iro, “light blue”)
群(ぐん)青(じょう)色(いろ) (gunjō-iro, “ultramarine”)
赤(あか)紫(むらさき)色(いろ) (akamurasaki-iro, “magenta”)
青(あお)緑(みどり)色(いろ) (aomidori-iro, “cyan”)
灰(はい)色(いろ) (hai-iro, “dark gray”)
鼠(ねずみ)色(いろ) (nezumi-iro, “light grey”)
鴇(とき)色(いろ) (toki-iro, “pink”)
縹(はなだ)色(いろ) (hanada-iro, “light indigo blue”)
栗(くり)色(いろ) (kuri-iro, “maroon”)
緋(ひ)色(いろ) (hīro, “scarlet”)
茜(あかね)色(いろ) (akane-iro, “madder (colour)”)
苺(いちご)色(いろ) (ichigo-iro, “strawberry (colour)”)
鬱(う)金(こん)色(いろ) (ukon-iro, “turmeric (dye)”)
ココア色(いろ) (kokoa-iro, “cocoa (colour)”)
葡(ぶ)萄(どう)色(いろ) (budō-iro, “grape (colour)”)
檸(レ)檬(モン)色(いろ) (remon-iro, “lemon (colour)”)
金糸雀(かなりあ)色(いろ) (kanaria-iro, “canary (colour)”)
芥(から)子(し)色(いろ) (karashi-iro, “mustard (colour)”)
琥(こ)珀(はく)色(いろ) (kohaku-iro, “amber”)
薔(ば)薇(ら)色(いろ) (bara-iro, “rose (colour)”)
十(じゅう)人(にん)十(と)色(いろ) (jū-nin to-iro, “to each his own”)

Related terms

白(しろ)い (shiroi, “white”)
黒(くろ)い (kuroi, “black”)
赤(あか)い (akai, “red”)
青(あお)い (aoi, “blue”)
黄(き)色(いろ)い (kīroi, “yellow”)
茶(ちゃ)色(いろ)い (chairoi, “brown”)

Adjective

色(いろ) • (iro) -na (adnominal 色(いろ)な (iro na), adverbial 色(いろ)に (iro ni))

[from late 900s] (archaic) of exceptional beauty of form or appearance
- Utsubo Monogatari, late 10th c.:
  いろなる娘(むすめ)どもゐなみて
  ironaru musume domo inamite
  beautiful girls all in a row
[from late 900s] (archaic) knowledgeable about lovemaking, sensual; lascivious, lecherous
- Ochikubo Monogatari, late 10th c.:
  越前守(えちぜんもり)色(いろ)なる人(ひと)にて
  echizenmori ironaru hito ni te
  Echizenmori was a man who liked the girls / had quite the libido
[from early 1000s] (archaic) elegant, tasteful, refined
- The Tale of Genji, early 11th c.:
  目馴(めな)れずもある住(す)まひの様(さま)かな色(いろ)なる御心(おこころ)にはをかしくおぼしなさる
  menarezu mo aru sumahi no sama ka na ironaru okokoro ni wa okashiku oboshinasaru
  "I haven't seen it before, but it looks like a house," he thought bemusedly in his refined mind...

Affix

色(いろ) • (iro)

relating to a love affair or the red light district
of that tone or timber or mood
relating to type or kind

Usage notes

Only found in compounds.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
色
いろえ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

⟨iro₂pe₂⟩ → */irəpəj/ → /irofe/ → /iroe/

Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of classical shimo nidan katsuyō verb 色う (irou, “to color something”).

Not used in modern Japanese.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [iɾo̞e̞]

Noun

色(いろえ) • (iroe) ^{←いろへ (irofe)^?}

(obsolete) coloring, design

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
色
しき Grade: 2
goon

From Middle Chinese 色 (MC srik). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing.^[4]

The Buddhist sense is translation of Sanskrit रूप (rūpa, “outward appearance, color, form, shape”).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) しき [shìkíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[2]
IPA^(key): [ɕikʲi]

Noun

色(しき) • (shiki)

(Buddhism) material form, specifically the organized body as one of the five constituent elements or skandhas
- 7th century, Heart Sutra (translation by Xuanzang)
  舍(しゃ)利(り)子(し)。色(しき)不(ふ)異(い)空(くう)。空(くう)不(ふ)異(い)色(しき)。色(しき)即(そく)是(ぜ)空(くう)。空(くう)即(そく)是(ぜ)色(しき)。受(じゅ)想(そう)行(ぎょう)識(しき)亦(やく)復(ぶ)如是(にょぜ)。
  Sharishi, shiki fu i kū, kū fu i shiki. Shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki. Ju-sō-gyō-shiki, yaku bu nyoze.
  Sariputra, form is not different from emptiness; emptiness is not different from form. That which is form is empty; that which is emptiness is form. This is also true for sensation, perception, intention, and awareness.^[5]
that which is visible of a thing, specifically form and color
color

Usage notes

Used extensively in compounds.

Derived terms

色(しき)界(かい) (shikikai, “the material world”)
色(しき)素(そ)胞(ほう) (shikisohō, “chromatophore”)
色(しき)彩(さい) (shikisai, “coloring, coloration, hue, tint; color, mood, influence, leaning”)
色(しき)紙(し) (shikishi, “a square piece of cardboard used for painting or for writing poems”)
色(しき)調(ちょう) (shikichō, “the coloring of a thing; a tone, shade, or hue”)
三(さん)色(しき) (sanshiki)
縹(ひょう)色(しき) (hyōshiki, “light indigo blue”)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
色
しょく Grade: 2
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 色 (MC srik). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.^[4]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɕo̞kɯ̟]

Affix

色(しょく) • (shoku)

color (US), colour (everywhere else)

Usage notes

Used in compounds.

Derived terms

暗(あん)色(しょく) (anshoku, “a dark color”)
威(い)嚇(かく)色(しょく) (ikaku-shoku, “a threatening color or pattern on an animal”)
異(い)色(しょく) (ishoku, “of a different color; different from the norm”)
炎(えん)色(しょく) (enshoku), 焰(えん)色(しょく) (enshoku, “flame colour”)
怨(えん)色(しょく) (enshoku, “grudging look”)
演(えん)色(しょく) (enshoku, “colour rendering”)
艶(えん)色(しょく) (enshoku, “bewitching looks; beautiful colour”)
黄(おう)色(しょく) (ōshoku), 黄(こう)色(しょく) (kōshoku, “yellow”)
灰(かい)色(しょく) (kaishoku, “grey”)
褐(かっ)色(しょく) (kasshoku, “dark brown”)
橄(かん)欖(らん)色(しょく) (kanran-shoku, “olive (colour)”)
好(こう)色(しょく) (kōshoku, “lasciviousness, lechery; lascivious, lecherous”)
紅(こう)色(しょく) (kōshoku, “crimson”)
行(こう)色(しょく) (kōshoku, “the state of being about to depart; natural scenery”)
黒(こく)色(しょく) (kokushoku, “black”)
紫(し)色(しょく) (shishoku, “purple”)
赭(しゃ)色(しょく) (shashoku, “reddish-brown, auburn”)
青(せい)色(しょく) (seishoku, “blue”)
赤(せき)色(しょく) (sekishoku, “red”)
水(すい)色(しょく) (suishoku, “light blue”)
遜(そん)色(しょく) (sonshoku, “inferiority”)
男(だん)色(しょく) (danshoku, “male homosexuality”)
橙(とう)色(しょく) (tōshoku, “orange (colour)”)
白(はく)色(しょく) (hakushoku, “white”)
明(めい)色(しょく) (meishoku, “a bright color”)
緑(りょく)色(しょく) (ryokushoku, “green”)

Counter

色(しょく) • (-shoku)

used to count the number of colors
三(さん)色(しょく)刷(す)り
sanshoku suri
three-color printing

Derived terms

三色(さんしょく) (sanshoku)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 “色”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Kido Inoue, Doiku Takeda (2012) Reggie Pawle, Ph.D, editor, Record of Traces and Dreams: the Heart Sutra, iUniverse, →ISBN, page vi

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 色 (MC srik).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᄉᆡᆨ〮 (Yale: sóyk)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
Text	*Gloss (hun)*	Reading
Sinjeung Yuhap, 1576	빗 (Yale: pis)	ᄉᆡᆨ (Yale: soyk)

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰɛk̚] ~ [sʰe̞k̚]
Phonetic hangul: [색/섹]

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

色

Wikisource

色 (eumhun 빛 색 (bit saek))

Hanja form^? of 색 (“colour”). [noun]

Compounds

색채 (色彩, saekchae)
단색 (丹色, dansaek)
녹색 (綠色, noksaek)
무색 (無色, musaek)
특색 (特色, teuksaek)
손색 (遜色, sonsaek)
회색 (灰色, hoesaek)
백색 (白色, baeksaek)
퇴색 (退色, toesaek)
색조 (色調, saekjo)
염색 (染色, yeomsaek)
황색 (黃色, hwangsaek)
각색 (脚色, gaksaek)
안색 (顔色, ansaek)
갈색 (褐色, galsaek)
각색 (各色, gaksaek)
명색 (名色, myeongsaek)
색상 (色相, saeksang)
일색 (一色, ilsaek)
색맹 (色盲, saengmaeng)
난색 (難色, nansaek)
생색 (生色, saengsaek)
채색 (彩色, chaesaek)
면색 (面色, myeonsaek)
물색 (物色, mulsaek)
유색 (有色, yusaek)
탈색 (脫色, talsaek)
색소 (色素, saekso)
다색 (茶色, dasaek)
난색 (暖色, nansaek)
단색 (單色, dansaek)
형색 (形色, hyeongsaek)
흑색 (黑色, heuksaek)
자색 (紫色, jasaek)
색정 (色情, saekjeong)
여색 (女色, yeosaek)
청색 (靑色, cheongsaek)
윤색 (潤色, yunsaek)
색계 (色界, saekgye)
색욕 (色慾, saegyok)
가색 (假色, gasaek)
간색 (間色, gansaek)
기색 (氣色, gisaek)
색감 (色感, saekgam)
적색 (赤色, jeoksaek)
감색 (紺色, gamsaek)
간색 (看色, gansaek)
변색 (變色, byeonsaek)
색지 (色紙, saekji)
화색 (和色, hwasaek)
원색 (原色, wonsaek)
음색 (音色, eumsaek)
현색 (顯色, hyeonsaek)
배색 (配色, baesaek)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

Vietnamese

Han character

色: Hán Nôm readings: sắc, sặc

chữ Hán form of sắc (“color”).

Compounds

[KDJ2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 “色”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DJR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-3] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[KDJ-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[5] Kido Inoue, Doiku Takeda (2012) Reggie Pawle, Ph.D, editor, Record of Traces and Dreams: the Heart Sutra, iUniverse, →ISBN, page vi

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

白色	灰色	黑色
紅色／红色, 赤色; 緋紅色／绯红色, 豔紅色／艳红色, 大紅／大红	橙色; 棕色, 褐色	黃色／黄色; 奶油色
青檸色／青柠色	綠色／绿色
青色; 深青色	湛藍色／湛蓝色, 蔚藍色／蔚蓝色, 天藍色／天蓝色	藍色／蓝色
紫羅蘭色／紫罗兰色; 靛色	洋紅色／洋红色; 紫色	粉紅色／粉红色

白(しろ) (shiro)	灰(はい)色(いろ) (haiiro), 鼠(ねずみ)色(いろ) (nezumiiro) (dated)	黒(くろ) (kuro)
赤(あか) (aka); 深(しん)紅(く) (shinku), クリムゾン (kurimuzon), 紅(べに)色(いろ) (beniiro), 紅(くれない)色(いろ) (kurenaiiro), 茜(あかね)色(いろ) (akaneiro)	オレンジ (orenji), 橙(だいだい)色(いろ) (daidaiiro); 茶(ちゃ)色(いろ) (chairo), 褐(かっ)色(しょく) (kasshoku)	黄(き)色(いろ) (kiiro); クリーム色(いろ) (kurīmuiro)
黄(き)緑(みどり) (kimidori)	緑(みどり) (midori), 青(あお) (ao) (dated)	若緑(わかみどり) (wakamidori)
シアン (shian); 鴨(かも)の羽色(はねいろ) (kamo no hane iro)	水(みず)色(いろ) (mizuiro)	青(あお) (ao)
菫(すみれ)色(いろ) (sumireiro); 藍(あい)色(いろ) (aiiro), インジゴ (injigo)	マゼンタ (mazenta), 赤紫(あかむらさき) (akamurasaki); 紫(むらさき) (murasaki)	ピンク (pinku), 桃(もも)色(いろ) (momoiro)

色

Translingual

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Chinese

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Japanese

Kanji

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Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

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Adjective

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Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Etymology 3

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Noun

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Etymology 4

Pronunciation

Affix

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Counter

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Korean

Etymology

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Hanja

Compounds

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Vietnamese

Han character

Compounds