斓

斕
lán
adjective

Meanings

  1. 1 (in 斑斓) gorgeous; multicolored; brilliantly varied in color

Examples

HSK 6
Yì zhī bānlán de húdié luò zài huā shàng.
A multicolored butterfly landed on the flower.
HSK 7-9
珊瑚礁色彩斑斓。
Shānhújiāo sècǎi bānlán.
The coral reef was a riot of brilliant colors.

Tips

usage
斓 does not stand alone, it locks into 斑斓 ('gorgeously multicolored'), often describing butterflies, coral, autumn leaves or a tiger's coat (五彩斑斓). Don't confuse it with 澜 (waves) or 斕, its own traditional form.

Components

radical
文 wén
pattern; markings
文 on the left originally meant decorative patterns or markings, exactly the colorful variegation this character describes.
phonetic
阑 lán
railing; barrier
阑 supplies the sound lán; the same phonetic appears in 澜 and 斕, and it carries no meaning here.

Stroke Order

斓 lán