The Five elements. Three colors are particularly interesting: red, which could be considered the Chinese national color, and the pairing of black and white, which makes one of the most well-known symbols in Chinese cultures, the Dao. BROWN - industrious, grounded Energy: contracting; Phase: new Yin; Development: withering; Planet: Venus; Subconsciously, we all know how we react to different colors. Today in China, white is a popular color for consumer goods and is a common color choice for cars. In traditional Chinese symbolism, purple symbolizes divinity and immortality. Chinese people have the unique traditions and customs. Color-Meanings.com. 福 – fú is one of the most famous Chinese character widely used for decorations. GOLD - completeness, wealth, metal, God consciousness Ancient Chinese people regarded black as the... White in Chinese – 白色 … First, this color is a representation of the Machu dynasty. History of China, Back to the index of Chinese Customs and Traditions Glossary. Decorate your kitchen in red to attract good luck to your household. delving into the depth of something, flowing, dormant, conserving, immortality, stability, knowledge, trust, adaptability, spontaneity, power, career, will, emotional protection, calmness vs. lack of will Animal: furred, especially tiger; Celestial creature: (White) Tiger; Fruit: peach; Grain: hemp; Historically, people actually worshipped the color yellow during the reign of the legendary Chinese sage king, a chief deity of Taoism, Huang Di or Huang Ti, better known as the Yellow Emperor. Yellow is an imperial color in traditional Chinese color symbolism, representing power, royalty, and prosperity. ORANGE - indicating change, adaptability, spontaneity, strengthens concentration 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. GREEN - growing, generating, sprouting, striving, refreshing, balancing, calming, healing, self assurance, foundation, benevolence, health, harmony, sensitivity, patience vs. anger purple. Red is a popular color in Chinese culture, symbolizing luck, joy, and happiness. Tres chic! Using color consciously can enhance your life. In this blog, I’ve explained the four most common and famous Chinese symbols that you can see in everyday Chinese people lives together with their usage and the stories behind them. used on masks indicates a positive character. Green and Blue Used to Be the Same Word. China was once called “The Red China” referring to the Communist China. Color Meanings – The Power and Symbolism of Colors. 1. A color can consist of a “main, dominating” color and a shade of another color. A guide on chrysanthemum meanings and origins, including chrysanthemum color symbolism, flower facts, and uses. Animals: naked (mankind); Celestial creature: (Yellow) Dragon, (Yellow) Qilin, Phoenix; Fruit: dates; Grain: rice; The color of power and sophistication. GREY - dull, indefinite, though also silver, hence income Black Color Meaning. (see also: Purple Forbidden City) 10. BLUE - conserving, healing, relaxation, exploration, trust, calmness, immortality Black is not the happiest of colors in traditional Chinese color symbolism, representing destruction, evil, cruelty, and sadness. Animal: shelled, especially tortoise; Celestial creature: (Black) Tortoise; Fruit: chestnut; Grain: millet; Today though, most houses are made of black tiles and white walls. Our Boulder showroom is temporarily closed. In the West, green stands for harmony, wealth, growth, and eco-friendliness. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 8 Colors and Their Symbolism in Chinese Culture. White is a symbol of the unknown and purity. However, it was during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that the colors began being used consistently to represent certain personality traits and human characteristics. Use purple in your kitchen to attract love and affection. Chinese people like the red color very much. The red hue is a bright lipstick red, which the Chinese associate with good luck, fame, money, happiness and joy. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, black. Five Elements: Metal; Direction: West; Season: autumn; Condition: dry, clear; Black is an incredibly strong and intimidating color that exudes authority and makes us feel secure and protected. Chinese watercolor techniques. The emperor himself is said to have helped Fuxi to create the Chinese Calendar. Candle Color Meanings, color is a form of vibrational energy which affects us on different levels. What colors mean in Chinese culture?/Color words in Mandarin/学普通话/beginners mandarin - Duration: 3:54. Black = water? However, the color term “black” has some specific metaphorical meanings in English and Chinese respectively. This thesis tries to focus on the metaphorical meanings of the basic color terms through the comparative study by For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Dragons in Chinese culture don't bear the fearsome reputation of Western dragons. He points out that The World Color Survey results mesh well with the Candoshi dictionary that was published before The World Color Survey work and arguing that just because a word is complex in meaning or syntax doesn’t mean it isn’t a color term. While in Chinese, the color term “黑” The color yellow and its shades are also the main color of Buddhism; thus it represents being free from worldly cares. Some colors in Chinese are considered inauspicious, others are auspicious. Each character has a different color painted on it to distinguish its quality. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making, and impact our moods. 5. Therefore, someone that is hoping for longevity and harmony will decorate with blue-green colors. Note that colors are ‘in motion’ as well. Overlooking the underlying meaning of the flower can sent the wrong message. Re-pin the image below to share with family & friends. Action: speech; Sense: smell; Sound: lamenting; Smell: putrid; Taste: pungent, spicy, acrid; It has appeared in ancient Chinese writings as early as 15th century BC and was used as an herbal remedy. The color theory is based on these five elements, and five of the most popular colors in China also correspond to these five elements. Blue represents the element of wood in Chinese culture, also symbolizing immortality and advancement. Wear it, decorate with it, write with it, or paint with it! Whether in fashion or in idiom, this mega guide to Chinese colors is going to expand your knowledge and make you a color guru. Meaning of Colors Used in Masks many colors are used in any given chinese mask, but the dominant colors impart specific characteristics. At festivals or great ceremonies, they prefer to wear red clothing as well. It is an imperial color or the color of an emperor. Five Elements: Water; Direction: North; Season: winter; Condition: cold; The character itself contains two radicals with good meanings. It is used for times of the unknown and for the winter months. He is the emperor that is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese people and is believed to have reigned around 2697 BC to 2598 BC. Yellow is superior, imperial, a symbol of the centre of the Earth, linked to the spleen and stomach. red shows intelligence and bravery. Action: thought; Sense: touch, taste; Sound: singing; Smell: fragrant; Taste: sweet, aromatic. Huang Di was coined the name Yellow Emperor because his army tribe honoured the value of the ‘Yellow Earth’ which was the symbol of farming and the ‘Yellow River’ of the central land (China). Yellow is still reserved for royalty. Five Elements Chart Five Elements: Wood; Direction: East; Season: spring; Condition: windy, rain; Remember different shades will vary the meanings, so consider that. Symbolism of Flowers The flag has five stars. red can also mean prosperity, loyalty, courage and heroism. The first chrysanthemums were cultivated in China centuries ago. Decorate your kitchen in yellow to attract good fortune to your household. Use the color gold in your kitchen decor to attract prosperity to your home. See also: In the Feng shui … The color of a candle, or of anything in your immediate environment, is like a key which unlocks a certain compartment of your subconscious mind, and of your entire being. Flower Color Meanings development of the modern meanings of color terms in Chinese and English, and Section 4 discusses the patterns and tendencies of semantic extension of color terms and interprets the results of this study. Blue 蓝色 (lán sè) is an expansive color, the hue of the open skies and … Although the masks are painted on the actor’s faces, they are available … Action: countenance; Sense: sight; Sound: calling; Smell: rancid; Taste: sour; It has appeared in ancient Chinese writings as early as 15th century BC and was used as an herbal remedy. Energy: expansive; Phase: full Yang; Development: blooming; Planet: Mars; What meaning do these (and other colors) have for the Chinese? Colors and Their Meanings in Chinese Culture. carry out a landmark research on color terms, English has eleven basic color terms: black, white, red, green, yellow, blue, brown, purple, pink, orange and gray. Lily. Use blue in your kitchen to represent growth and optimism. Colors There are five primary Chinese colors: red, black, green, white, and yellow. These masks are influenced by the history of the Chinese kingdom, mostly the Song Dynasty. Red is still used for happiness and joy. Use green in your kitchen decor to represent the environment and good health. One example of the ritual importance of jade is the burial of the body of Liu Sheng, a prince of the Zhongshan State (Western Han Dynasty ) who died around 113 BCE. Clothing and objects that are yellow in color still resemble a higher social status. Copyright © 2020 Big Chill. BLACK - color for young boys (who will continue the family/ancestor lineages), Yellow — corresponding to earth — symbolizes royalty and … Well in China, there are meanings to every color. Red represents fire and is the most popular color in China. Red also represents the summer season and the element of fire that comes with it. WHITE - mourning, contracting, withering, righteousness, pureness, confidence, intuition, strength, organization, death, ancestral spirits, ghosts, courage vs. sadness ZHU Chinese From Chinese 朱 meaning "vermilion red, cinnabar" and also referring to the ancient state of Zhu, which existed in what is now Shandong province. The Chinese poems ‘Songs of Chu’ describe the Five Emperors to which the Yellow Emperor belongs, as directional God, granting the Yellow Emperor the direction ‘center’. Obviously, there are nine shared basic color terms in English and Chinese. The Five Element Chart shows associated properties or aspects of each element. In Chinese believes, the cosmos mirrors the Five Elements, therefore each color represents or is associated with a symbolic meaning. Trigram bagua: Xun/Sun, Zhen Peasants could only live in homes made with blue bricks and roof tiles. Red 红 hóng. Trigram bagua: Li Colors in Chinese | How to Talk About Colors in Mandarin Chinese | Beginner Chinese Conversation - Duration: 15:34. 2. This is the ultimate good luck character in the Chinese language.It means good fortune, good luck, and wealth ( all of what we wish for). Five Elements: Fire; Direction: South; Season: summer; Condition: heat; Like this post? Cultural Meanings Red is a lucky color, representing prosperity, goodness, and happiness. Symbolism of Food China is a country rich with heritage, and uses colors symbolically within every ceremony, festival, and ritual. Often seen at formal and prestigious events, this mysterious marvel arouses and seduces our senses with its elegance and sexiness. It is hard to explain why they do certain things if you don’t know the meanings and the traditions. Trigram bagua: K’un, Gen. Cyan Lotus — Qing Lian (青莲) This was the … Chinese Opera Masks. 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