1. Color’s Implications in Chinese Language & Culture

2. Colors in life

3. Questions:
Color: a natural element, or a subjective and personal vision?
Color: a universal emotion, or a culture-specific reaction?

4. Let’s guess 白手(báishǒu): white hand 黑钱(hēiqián): black money
红人(hóngrén): red person
黄泉(huángquán): yellow spring
绿帽子(lǜmàozi)：green hat

5. Colors in Chinese Language & Culture
White: 白（bái）
Black: 黑（hēi）
Red: 红（hóng）
Yellow: 黄（huáng）
Green: 绿（lǜ）
Others

6. White Death, funerals Evil quality Free of charge Nothing added
Wrongly written or pronounced (character)
Others

7. White: death & funerals

9. White: evil quality 白脸（bái liǎn）
White face: for the crafty, evil, cunning

10. 红脸（hóng liǎn）
red face: for the heroic, honest and loyal

11. 一个唱白脸，一个唱红脸
One play in white face, while the other play in red face: One pretends to be harsh and severe, while the other pretends to be generous and kind.

12. White: evil quality 白眼狼(bái yǎn láng) Wolf with white eyes:
person who returns kindness with ingratitude

13. White: free of charge 白饭（bái fàn） White rice: a free meal
( gain things without payment)

14. White: nothing added
白水（bái shuǐ）
White water:
water

15. White: in vain
白干(bái gàn): do sth. in vain
白买(bái mǎi):
白学(bái xué):

16. White: wrongly written or pronounced
白字（bái zì）
White character: a character that is mispronounced or written in a wrong way, in wrong strokes

17. 白手起家(bái shǒu qǐ jiā): start empty-handed

18. 白头偕老(bái tóu xié lǎo): remain a devoted couple to the end of their lives

19. 白衣天使(bái yī tiān shǐ): angel in white

20. Black Quality of upright, selfless Evil, sinister, malicious
Illegal, underground

21. Black: quality of upright, selfless

22. Black: evil, sinister, malicious
黑心(hēi xīn)
Black heart:
evil mind

23. Black: evil, sinister, malicious
黑社会(hēi shèhuì)
Black society:
sinister gang

24. Black: evil, sinister, malicious
黑店(hēi diàn)
Black store:
inns run by brigands

25. Black: evil, sinister, malicious
黑话(hēi huà)
Black words:
bandits’ argot,
thieves’ cant

26. Black: illegal, underground
黑户(hēi hù)
Black household register:
unregistered household

27. Black: illegal, underground
黑市(hēi shì)
Black market

28. Black: illegal, underground
黑钱(hēi qián)
Black money:
money obtained in illicit manner

29. Black & White 黑白不分(hēi bái bù fēn): cannot tell right from wrong
黑白分明(hēi bái fēn míng): no confusion
颠倒黑白(diān dǎo hēi bái ): confuse right and wrong

30. Red Wealthy, vigor, energy, luck Marriage, wedding Success, favored
Beauty
Loyalty, faith
revolution, high political consciousness
importance or danger
anger, embarrassment, jealousy

31. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck

32. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
China pavilion in Shanghai Expo

33. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
Fobidden City

34. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
Red belt: protect you from disasters

35. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
Couplets and 福 charactor

36. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
Red lanterns

37. Red: wealthy, vigor, energy, luck
红包(hong bao)
Red bag/ envelope:
money in side, to show the wish to the future

38. Red: marriage & wedding
红事(hóngshì):
red matter:
wedding ceremony

39. Red: marriage & wedding

40. Red: marriage & wedding
红娘(hóngniáng):
red girl:
matchmaker

41. Red: success, favored 红人(hóngrén): red person:
favored by other persons

42. Red: success, favored 开门红(kāiménhóng): see red when open the door:
a good beginning

43. Red: success, favored 红榜(hóng bǎng): red board:
names will be shown for good reasons

44. Red: success, favored
红火(hóng huǒ):
red fire:
flourishing life/career

45. Red: beauty
红颜(hóng yán):
red woman:
beautiful young girl

46. Red: beauty 红妆(hóngzhuāng): red costumes:
beautiful woman richly dressed up

47. Red: loyalty, faith
红心(hóngxīn):
red heart:
a loyal/ faithful heart

48. Red: loyalty, faith 红脸(hóngliǎn): red face:
for the heroic, honest and loyal

49. Red: revolution, high political consciousness
红军(hóngjūn):
the Red Army:
the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army

50. Red: revolution, high political consciousness
小红花(xiǎo hónghuā):
little red flower:
for reward or encouragement

51. Red: revolution, high political consciousness
红领巾(hónglǐngjīn):
red scarf:
worn by Young Pioneers

52. Red: importance or danger
红头文件(hóngtóuwénjiàn):
red-head file:
important file

53. Red: importance or danger
红灯(hóngdēng):
red light:
for stop/ forbidden

54. Red: importance or danger
赤字(chìzì):
red character:
deficit

55. Red: anger, embarrassment, jealousy
面红耳赤(miànhóng’ěrchì):
red face and red ears:
for fierce argument

56. Red: anger, embarrassment, jealousy
红眼(hóngyǎn):
red eyes:
for jealousy

57. Red: others 红茶(hóngchá) : black tea
红尘(hóngchén) : the world of motals, human society
红豆(hóngdòu) : red bean, love pea, once used as a love token in China.
红色炸弹(hóngsè zhàdàn) : red bomb, wedding invitations

58. Yellow Power, dignity, honor Wealth, perfect
Withered, depressed, failure, death
Indecent, obscene, vulgar interests

59. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
Curse of the Golden Flower

60. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
黄袍(huángpáo):
yellow robe:
the imperial robe

61. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
黄袍加身(huang pao jia shen): be draped with the imperial yellow robe by one’s supporters, be acclaimed emperor, be made emperor

62. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
黄马褂(huángmǎguà):
yellow mandarin jacket:
given by the king

63. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
金榜(jīnbǎng):
golden board:
issued by the king

64. Yellow: wealth, perfect
黄金时间
(huángjīn shíjiān):
golden time:
prime time

65. Yellow: wealth, perfect
黄金地段
(huángjīn dìduàn):
golden mile:
the best location

66. Yellow: wealth, perfect
黄金周
(huángjīn zhōu):
golden week:
the seven-day holidays

67. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
黄了(huáng le):
become yellow
fail

68. Yellow: withered, depressed, failure, death
人老珠黄
(rén lǎo zhū huáng):
one getting old like pearl becoming yellow

69. Yellow: power, dignity, honor
黄泉(huángquán):
yellow spring:
the world of death

70. Yellow: indecent, obscene, vulgar interests
黄色(huáng sè): decadent, obscene, pornographic
黄色电影(huángsè diànyǐng) pornographic movie, sex film
黄色书刊/小说(huángsè shūkān/xiǎoshuō) pornographic books and periodicals, novels

71. Green
Energy, hope
Healthy, fine-quality, no pollution
others

72. Green: energy, hope
绿洲 (lǜ zhōu):
oasis
hope of life

73. Green: energy, hope
绿茵场 (lǜyīnchǎng):
green-grass land
football pitch

74. Green: healthy, fine-quality, no pollution
绿色和平
(lǜsè hépíng):
green peach
an international organization for environment protection

75. Green: healthy, fine-quality, no pollution
绿色食品
(lǜsè shípǐn):
green food
safe food, food contains no toxic or harmful elements for human health

76. Green: healthy, fine-quality, no pollution
绿色办公
(lǜsè bàngōng):
green office
handle official business economically and effectively

77. Green: others
绿帽子
(lǜ màozi):
green hat
be a cuckold

78. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
赤(chì),橙(chéng),黄(huáng),绿(lǜ),青(qīng),蓝(lán),紫(zǐ) red, orange, yellow, green, 青, blue, purple

79. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
青苹果(qīng pínguǒ):
green apple
immature

80. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
青云(qīng yún):
blue cloud
青云直上(qīng yún zhí shàng): rise high to the blue cloud, quick promotion

81. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
青丝(qīng sī):
black hair
of a woman or a girl

82. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
青楼(qīng lóu):
brothel
in ancient times

83. 青(qīng): green, blue, black
青梅竹马
(qīngméi zhúmǎ):
green plums and a bamboo horse
a man and a woman who had an innocent affection for each other in childhood

84. Color’s Implications in Chinese Language & Culture
—— The End —— Thank you!