五色

wǔsè

noun

Meanings

1 the five colours (blue-green, yellow, red, white and black)
2 multicoloured; colourful

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

古人把青、黄、赤、白、黑合称为五色。

Gǔrén bǎ qīng, huáng, chì, bái, hēi héchēng wéi wǔsè.

The ancients called blue-green, yellow, red, white and black together the five colours.

HSK 7-9

节日的广场上挂满了五色彩旗。

Jiérì de guǎngchǎng shàng guàmǎn le wǔsè cǎiqí.

The square is hung with colourful flags for the festival.

Tips

culture

The five colours match the five elements, 五行. In legend 女娲 melted stones of five colours to patch the sky, and Laozi warned that 五色令人目盲 ‘the five colours blind the eye’.

Stroke Order

五 wǔ

色 sè