Pronunciation: hong ( Putonghua, 2nd tone ). hung ( Cantonese 4th tone)
meaning: Red
紅日 ( hong re = red sun ) 紅酒 ( hong jiu = red wine ) 臉紅 ( lian hong = face red ) = blush. 紅樹林 ( hong shu lin = red tree grove ) = mangrove forests. 紅燈 (hong deng = red light ) red/stop/danger signal.
紅包 Cash gifts/bribes are ( hong bao = red packets). 紅白二事 ( hong bai er shi = red white two things/events) means weddings/brithdays and funerals.
紅 alos symbolizes socialist/communist China : 紅軍 ( hong jun = Red Army ) 紅衛兵 ( hong wei bing = red guard soldier = Red Guards ) 又紅又專 ( you hong you zhuan = also red also specialized ) means politically correct and professionally sound.
看破紅塵 ( kan po hong chen = see break/through red dust, 紅塵: world's vanities ) means disillusioned about life and desiring to become hermit/monk/nun.
Pronunciation: se ( Putongua, 1st tone ), sik ( Cantonese 1st tone )
Meaning : Color
顏色 = ( yan se = coutenance color ) 膚色 = ( fu se = skin color ) 音色 = ( yin se = musical note colour = timbre ) 色盲 = ( se mang = color blind ) 特色 Unique people have ( te se = special color = special character ) 神色 = ( shen se = spirit colour = expression ) 拋眼色 = ( pao yan se = throw eye expression ) means passing someone a knowing glance.
色 = 美色 ( mei se = beauty color = women's beauty / charms ) 好美色 Womanizers ( hao nu se = like female beauty ) 好男色 Men who ( hao nan se = like male beauty ) like to sleep with men. 色迷迷 ( se mi mi = color charmed charmed ) means lascivious looking. 戒色 ( jie se = abstain from sex )
色即是空 Buddhists preach ( se zhi shi kong = color / appearance equal is empty ) All existence is emptiness.
基本 Basic ( ji ben = foundation basic ) 本人 Fundamental ( ben ren = original person ) himself/herself, in person. 資本 Capital ( zi ben = money foundation ) 資本主義 Capitalism ( zi ben zhu yi = capital main meaning = capital ideology ) 打本 Investors ( da ben = mount/provide capital ) supply/lend capital to businesses 本金 Bank loans include ( ben jin = basic gold/money = principal ) 利息 ( li xi = gain/earnings interest = interest ) 本錢 ( ben qian = basic money ) in negotiations means bargaining power and job seekers personal talent/qualifications. 賭本 ( du ben = betting capital ) 翻本 ( fan ben = return/turn around capital = win back losses) 按本子辦事 Uncreative executives slavishly ( an ben zi ban shi = follow book diminutive handle things = follow the book )
語文 ( yu wen ) = speech writing = language. 漢語 ( han yu ) = Han Speech/language = language of the Han race . 中文 ( zhong wen ) = Chinese language . 外語 ( wai yu ) = outside speech . 外文 ( wai wen ) = outside language )foreign languages. 英語 English ( ying yu ) = England transliterated language . 西語 Spanish ( xi yu ) = Spain transliterated language . 阿拉伯語 Arabic ( a la bo yu ) = Arabia transliterated language .
外語系 Students of ( wai yu xi ) = foreign languages department . 文化 study ( wen hua ) = language transform = culture . 文學 ( wen xue ) = writing study = literature . 文明 ( wen ming ) = langauge enlightenment = civilizations . 翻譯 ( fan yi ) = overturn translate = translation . 傳譯 ( chuan yi ) = transmit translate = oral interpretation .
