Mandarin Colors

Learning the names of colors is essential in any language, but Mandarin colors give you more than just a tool for descriptions: they also have strong cultural meanings.

Red, for example, is a lucky color, representing prosperity, goodness, and happiness. If cash is given as a present, it is placed in a red envelope. White envelopes are never used, because white is associated with death.

The opposite of red is black, which represents evil and suffering. Although white is used in funerals, it is not associated with evil, but rather the absence of life, as during winter.

Yellow is the color of the soil, and represents earthliness and centeredness. It is also a color strongly associated with China, as the Chinese are descendants of the Yellow Emperor.

Mandarin Colors

Color	Pinyin	Traditional	Simplified
white	bái sè	白色	白色
blue	lán sè	藍色	蓝色
yellow	huáng sè	黃色	黄色
green	lǜ sè	綠色	绿色
red	hóng sè	紅色	红色
orange	jú sè or chéng sè	橘色 or 橙色	橘色 or 橙色
brown	kāfēi sè	咖啡色	咖啡色
black	hēi sè	黑色	黑色
purple	zǐ sè	紫色	紫色
grey	huī sè	灰色	灰色