Colours in Chinese and What They Mean Culturally

The Mandarin words for colours, and the cultural meanings of red, yellow, white, green and gold in Chinese traditions and everyday life.

Colours are a fun first vocabulary set for learners, but in Chinese culture they're also rich with symbolism. Knowing both helps you avoid awkward moments and appreciate the culture.

Basic colour words

红 (hóng) — red
黄 (huáng) — yellow
蓝 (lán) — blue
绿 (lǜ) — green
白 (bái) — white
黑 (hēi) — black
紫 (zǐ) — purple
粉红 (fěnhóng) — pink
灰 (huī) — grey
橙色 (chéngsè) — orange
棕色 (zōngsè) — brown
金色 (jīnsè) — gold
银色 (yínsè) — silver

Most take 色 (sè, colour) as a suffix: 红色 (red colour). With 的: 红色的衣服 (red clothes). Note that 红 alone often works as an adjective: 红花 (red flowers).

Red (红)

Red is the colour of good luck, joy and celebration. It dominates weddings, Chinese New Year and festivals. Red envelopes (红包) carry gifts of money, and red lanterns and couplets decorate doors. Writing a person's name in red ink can be considered bad luck, as it was traditionally associated with the names of the dead or of prisoners.

Yellow (黄)

Yellow was the imperial colour in dynasties past, worn by emperors, and was associated with the centre and with earth. Today, yellow is sometimes used with a different meaning in slang, referring to adult content, so be aware of context.

White (白)

White is associated with mourning and funerals, and with purity. Wearing white to a wedding is generally avoided in traditional contexts, and white flowers are not given as celebratory gifts.

Green (绿)

Green is associated with nature, health and life. However, wearing a green hat (戴绿帽子, dài lǜ màozi) is a well-known idiom for a man whose partner is unfaithful, so avoid giving green hats as gifts.

Gold (金)

Gold represents wealth and prosperity. It appears alongside red in festive decorations, and 金 is also the character for "metal" and "gold" in many words.

Black (黑)

Black is associated with formality and seriousness, but also with bad luck and misfortune in some contexts, such as 黑名单 (hēimíngdān, blacklist).

Five elements

Traditional Chinese thought links colours to the five elements: green or blue for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal, and black for water. These associations appear in art, architecture and medicine.

Colours in idioms

红红火火 (hónghóng huǒhuǒ) — prosperous and thriving
青出于蓝 (qīng chū yú lán) — the student surpasses the teacher (literally, blue comes from indigo but exceeds it)
面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ěr chì) — red in the face, flushed with embarrassment

Gift-giving tips

Red and gold wrapping are safe, festive choices. Avoid white or black wrapping for celebrations, and green hats.

Practice

Describe your clothes in Chinese.
Learn the cultural meaning of each main colour.
Notice colours in festivals and decorations.
Look up any new words in a dictionary.

Look up colours and idioms with English Chinese Dictionary →