Red

紅

Red

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.

by Raymond Mok 莫坤雄

Color

色

Color

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.

by: Raymond Mok 莫坤雄

Basis

本

Basic

Pronunciation:
ben ( Putonghua, 1st tone )
boon ( Cantonese 2nd tone )

meaning: Original, basis, foundation, capital, principal.

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 )

by: Raymond Mok 莫坤雄

Writing

文

Writing

Pronunciation:
wen ( Putonghua, 2nd tone),
man ( Cantonese 4th tone )

meaning: language, writing


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 .

by: raymond Mok 莫坤雄