A vivid and visual guide to colors in Chinese and their meanings

For the superstitious and otherwise, learning the colors in Chinese can bring you favorable outcomes.

Whether you believe in superstitions and the symbolism of colors or not, knowing how to talk about a wide variety of colors in Chinese will allow you to express yourself in a much more complete way. From painting more vivid stories to being more specific with your descriptions, learning a few colors will help you tremendously in your Chinese-learning journey.

But we won’t just give you a handful of colors — that would be much too simple! What’s the beauty in life if we can’t express our words in lilac, turquoise, and ultramarine? Being able to experience different hues and tones is part of what makes life so beautiful, and the same is true for languages. Why learn Chinese if you aren’t planning to fill your sentences with color?

Plus, traditional Chinese culture has a different way of dealing with colors and color hues. Perhaps you’d be surprised to learn that their way of categorizing colors is quite different from the Western way, so there are many shades and hues that exist in Chinese that don’t exist in English! For your convenience, we’ll cover both Western and traditional Chinese colors in this guide, leaving you with 187 unique tones and shades!

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Table of contents

• Why learn all the colors in Chinese?
• Colors in Chinese
  • Shades of purple
  • Shades of orange
  • Shades of blue
  • Shades of red
  • Shades of yellow
  • Shades of brown
  • Shades of pink
  • Shades of green
  • Shades of black
  • Shades of white
• Fun Chinese idioms related to colors
• FAQs about Chinese colors

Why learn all the colors in Chinese?

If you’re just getting started with your Mandarin classes, then you might be wondering if it’s too early to spend time learning all the colors. However, there are many reasons to start thinking about Chinese colors early on in your journey. Here are a few reasons why you should learn them in the earlier stages:

• Describe more accurately. Of course, one of the main reasons to learn them is to be able to describe the objects around you. Now, you’ll be able to point out that blue shirt and that red car.
• Colors are part of everyday life. You'll unlock a whole new level of appreciation for the vibrant tapestry of Chinese culture & gain a new way to feel and understand the world.
• Colors are cultural. Colors in Chinese culture are more than just shades – they embody the unique aesthetic taste, ancient cultural heritage, and worldviews of Chinese people.
• Understand more Chinese idioms. There are countless idioms in Chinese that use colors. Without knowing how to say the colors in Chinese, there’s no way you’d understand these fun and insightful idioms.

Colors in Chinese

Before we jump into this massive list of 187 colors in Mandarin, we should start with the very basics: how to say color in Chinese. The word for color is 颜色 (yán sè), which is made up of the character 颜 (yán) for “face” or “appearance” and 色 (sè) for “color.” This last one is especially important, as it also appears as the second character in all the main colors, like:

• 白色 (bái sè) — white
• 黑色 (hēi sè) — black
• 蓝色 (lán sè) — blue
• 红色 (hóng sè) — red
• 绿色 (lǜ sè) — green

As you can see, all of these colors have the 色 from 颜色 at the end. This is a quick way for you to realize that a word is a color, even if you haven’t learned it yet or can’t remember it.

Now, before we get started with all the beautiful shades of colors, we need to discuss the difference between colors in Chinese and Western culture.

Difference between colors in Chinese and Western cultures

In Western culture, colors are associated with physical properties and scientific theories. Plants, animals, and natural phenomena are widely embraced and incorporated into the realm of colors. One prominent example is the creation of the seven-color spectrum. Sir Isaac Newton, through the ingenious use of a prism, refracted sunlight and revealed its hidden composition: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet.

Following this groundbreaking discovery, physicists delved into the scientific exploration of color, ultimately unveiling three fundamental color attributes: brightness, purity, and hue. Furthermore, a systematic numerical coding system was devised to precisely categorize each distinct color.

In Chinese culture, colors are derived from nature & imagination. Traditional Chinese colors are based on the concept of expressing ideas through colors. Chinese art primarily uses mineral and plant materials as raw materials, so the formula people use to name colors: color name = name of the material as a modifier + inherent color of the material.

We can read each Chinese color as an aesthetic painting. It depicts organisms or objects found in everyday life. It also represents people’s experiences and interpretations of the world.

Shades of purple

Purple comes in many fun as well as relaxing shades. From a vibrant violet to a laid-back lavender, you can take advantage of this color’s versatility and implement some of these shades into your vocabulary.

Traditional Chinese purple

In traditional Chinese culture, purple represents immortality and divine beings. Today, however, purple represents love and romance in China. Since red is already taken by luck and auspiciousness, purple is commonly used by the younger generations to signify love!

Shades of orange

Orange comes in many shades, from the cozy fall pumpkin tones to the funky and tropical citrus-orange hues. Below are some of the most common shades of orange in Chinese.

Traditional Chinese orange

Orange in traditional Chinese society is closely associated with red, and, as such, is used for similar purposes. You might be able to spot orange close to red decorations in Chinese New Year festivities!

Shades of blue

Blue is one of the most popular and versatile colors, with tons of captivating shades that range from rich navy blue to mesmerizing Caribbean Sea turquoise. Here are some of the most common shades of blue in Chinese.

Traditional Chinese blue

Blue in traditional Chinese is, like in the West, typically associated with masculine things. It’s also one of the most neutral colors, without overly positive or negative connotations, so feel free to use it freely in your Chinese projects.

Shades of red

Whether you’re looking for a sporty red for your new car or a deep red for a smart and elegant cardigan, you’ll want to be familiar with these common shades of red in Chinese:

Traditional Chinese red

Red is the most important in traditional Chinese society, as it symbolizes good luck, wealth, and joy. If you look at the Chinese stock market, you might be surprised to find out that stocks that are performing well are marked with red upwards arrows, while stocks that are losing value are marked with green downward arrows. Talk about flipping the script!

Shades of yellow

Yellow is another highly versatile color that can be happy and bright like the sunshine but also calm and demure like sand and cream. No matter how you feel about all these different shades, here are some of the most common tones of yellow in Chinese.

Traditional Chinese yellow

Historically, yellow represents the emperor, power, and royalty in traditional Chinese society. It’s also in the name of 黄河 (huáng hé), the Yellow River, which is one of the two most important rivers in China. However, keep in mind that the color yellow today can be tied to pornographic publications. For example, a “yellow film” isn’t going to be one about the Yellow River!

Shades of brown

Brown can be a very yummy color, with many delicious foods like chocolate, almonds, caramel, and walnuts representing different shades of brown. Check out these gorgeous shades of brown and pick your favorite!

Traditional Chinese brown

In traditional Chinese culture, brown is associated with the earth. As such, it is usually related to being grounded or being in nature. Check out these earthy brown tones from traditional Chinese culture!

Shades of pink

One of the most vibrant colors out there, pink is a very popular color thanks to its magenta, coral, and salmon hues. Here are some shades of pink in Chinese for all the pink lovers out there:

Traditional Chinese pink

Pink is considered a shade of red in traditional Chinese culture and, as such, is closely related to red and its meanings. Pink can symbolize happiness and good fortune, making it a good choice for cheerful events and situations.

Shades of green

Green is usually associated with plants and nature, and many of the shades of green are named after them. From lime to forest to olive, these are the shades of green in Chinese that all ecologists and nature lovers should be familiar with.

Traditional Chinese green

Green is a somewhat tricky color in traditional Chinese culture. Although it also has some of the same ecological symbolism as in the West, you want to make sure to never wear green — especially a green hat. Wearing a green hat means that your partner has cheated on you, since the family members of prostitutes used to be forced to wear green hats during the Yuan Dynasty.

Shades of black

You didn’t think black was just one color and that’s it, right? Even black can have some fun hues and tones, like midnight black and obsidian, helping you add some depth and texture to your black. Here are some examples of shades of black in Chinese.

Traditional Chinese black

While blue is associated with water in the West, black is associated with water in traditional Chinese society. This makes black a mostly positive color in traditional Chinese society, although black today can have negative connotations. Avoid wearing black to auspicious events like weddings!

Shades of white

White also comes with some fun and chic shades like beige, ivory, and eggshell. Perfect for decorating your apartment or putting together a monochrome look! Here are some shades of white in Chinese so you know what to enter into the shopping apps.

Traditional Chinese white

White in traditional Chinese culture represents purity, innocence, and death. You should also know that you should wear white if you ever have to attend a Chinese funeral, not black! As you now know, wearing black can bring bad luck to any event you attend — even funerals. Instead, be sure to wear white, no matter how odd it may sound to your Western ears!

Fun Chinese idioms related to colors

If you’ve been studying Mandarin for a while now, then you already know how common idioms are in daily life. Now that you’ve learned 187 different colors and shades in Chinese, you’ve earned the special privilege of using some of these super interesting and insightful Chinese idioms involving colors!

FAQs about Chinese colors

What are the colors of the Chinese New Year?

Red is the most important color for the Chinese New Year. If you’re familiar with the legend of Nian, then you already know that this beastly dragon is deathly afraid of loud noises and the color red. That’s why most Chinese New Year decorations are bright red — so we can scare the monster away. If you’d like to learn more about the legend of Nian, check out our guide to the months, days of the week, and years in Chinese, where go in-depth on this story. Plus, you’ll learn some handy time-related vocab!

What do different colors mean In Chinese culture?

Traditional Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on the meaning of colors. Here are some of the most common colors along with their general meaning:

• Red. Red is the luckiest color, as it symbolizes good fortune, happiness, and joy.
• Yellow. Yellow used to be the color of the emperor and represents power, nobility, and good luck.
• Black. Black is the color associated with water and is also believed to symbolize evil, sadness, destruction, and cruelty.
• White. Perhaps surprisingly for Westerners, white in Chinese symbolizes death. If you ever need to attend a funeral in China, you can wear white. However, the Western meaning of purity is becoming more popular in China, especially among the younger generations.
• Pink. Pink is considered a shade of red in Chinese, so you can expect the same positive vibes from red with this lovely color.
• Green. Green has some of the same meanings of ecology and nature as in the West, with one special caveat: avoid wearing green hats at all costs. That’s because family members of prostitutes used to have to wear green hats, and, today, wearing a green hat means that you’ve been cheated on by your partner.
• Blue. This has an overall positive connotation in Chinese culture as it’s associated with calm, healing, and trust.
• Purple. Traditionally, purple used to mean divinity and immortality. However, today, purple is associated with romance and love, just like pink and red are in the West.
• Gray. Traditionally, gray represents modesty as ordinary citizens would wear gray clothes to show their humility.

What are the lucky and unlucky colors in China?

Colors in China can be very lucky — but they can also be very unlucky.

These are the luckiest colors in China:

• Red
• Yellow
• Green
• Gold

These are the unluckiest colors in China:

• Black
• White
• Green (when associated with infidelity)

Paint a beautiful story

Now, you know almost 200 different shades and hues in Chinese to introduce into the beautiful canvas that is life. Next time you’re tasked with describing the items around you or telling a beautiful story in Chinese, you’ll be able to access this massive list of all kinds of shades and tones in Chinese.

If you enjoyed this guide, make sure to check out our Mandarin Chinese blog. We regularly publish free vocabulary articles like this one, including food in Chinese and measure words. We also have guides on super helpful skills, like how to write a CV in Chinese and how to tell the time in Chinese.