胭 (yān): (in 胭脂) rouge

Meanings

她抹了点胭脂，脸颊红润有光彩。

Tā mǒ le diǎn yānzhi, liǎnjiá hóngrùn yǒu guāngcǎi.

She put on a touch of rouge, and her cheeks looked rosy and bright.

古时候的胭脂是用红花花瓣做的。

Gǔshíhou de yānzhi shì yòng hónghuā huābàn zuò de.

In old times rouge was made from the petals of safflower.

usage

胭 only appears in 胭脂 (rouge), a red cosmetic for cheeks and lips. By extension 胭脂 can also mean a deep red colour.

radical

⺼ ròu

meat; flesh (radical form)

Left-side meat-flesh radical, the side form of 肉, visually like 月 but distinct. Here it links to the cheek, the part of the body rouge is applied to.

phonetic

因 yīn

cause; because (here phonetic)

Right side 因 supplies the sound yīn, only a tone away from yān. It is purely the phonetic element here.

胭 yān