22 Chinese Colors And Meanings | PLUS Free Quiz

Learn All The Important Chinese Colors

Red in Chinese
Red In Chinese

Do you think knowing Chinese Colors and their meanings is important?

Recently I was on the train and I looked over the shoulder of a Chinese man checking his phone for the latest stock prices.

To my horror, everything on the screen was marked red!

I asked him “Gǔshì shìfǒu bēngkuì?” (股市是否崩溃?) Is the stock market crashing?

He turns to me laughing “hóngsè hěn hǎo”( 红色很好).

“Red is good” – Anonymous Commuter

Chinese Colors and their Meanings

One way you could really impress your Chinese colleagues is to show off your understanding of Chinese colors and meanings.

Also when buying your Chinese partner any gifts it’s probably a good idea to know lucky Chinese colours and unlucky Chinese colors.

Let’s go through them now:

Chinese Colors | Black in Chinese

Chinese Colors | White in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Red in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Pink in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Green in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Yellow in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Blue in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Purple in Chinese

Chinese Colors | Gray in Chinese

Chinese Colors | FREE QUIZ

Chinese Colors | FAQs

Think you know your Chinese colours already?

Test your knowledge of Chinese colors with our quiz, located at the bottom of this article.

Black in Chinese – 黑色 hēi sè

Black in Chinese - Chinese Colours
Black In Chinese

Black color in Chinese represents water. Ancient Chinese people regarded black as the king of colors. Today, Chinese culture associates it with evil and sadness.

It represents bad fortune and must not be worn to auspicious occasions like weddings and funerals.

The Chinese word for black is ‘hei’ which stands for bad luck, irregularity, and illegality.

Maybe don’t wear that really cool black shirt on a first date with a Chinese person.

White in Chinese – 白色 bái sè

White In Chinese - Chinese colors
White In Chinese

Here is something you should definitely know before you attend a Chinese funeral.

Wear White! White is the color of mourning and is associated with Death.

White color in Chinese is also associated with metal, representing brightness, purity and fulfilment.

Quick before you read on. Why not learn how to speak all these colors in our new HOW TO series on Youtube?

Red in Chinese – 红色 hóng sè

Chinese colors - Red in Chinese
Red In Chinese

Red not surprisingly corresponds with fire. It symbolises good fortune and joy.

You’ll see red everywhere during Chinese New Year.

Warning: do not write names in red ink!

In ancient times, a death row criminal’s name was written in chicken blood, later this evolved to being written in red ink.

Some people use red ink in a break-up letter, a curse for someone to die, or the news that a friend or relative has passed away. So just stick with your black and blue pens for your love letters.

Pink in Chinese – 粉色 fěn sè

Pink In Chinese - Chinese Colors
Pink In Chinese

Pink is considered to be a shade of red. Thus holds all the same meanings of good fortune and joy.

FUN FACT || In Chinese society, during holiday or special occasions they exchange a red envelope with money inside.

The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is a symbol to ward off evil spirits.

Green in Chinese – 绿色 lǜ sè

Green In Chinese - Chinese Colors
Green In Chinese

Does your business sell green hats?

Well, I’ve got some bad news if you’re hoping to break into the Chinese market. Starting in the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) family members of prostitutes were forced to wear green hats.

Today, if you see someone wearing a green hat they wish for you to know their partner had been unfaithful.

Aside from the odd green hat rule.

Green in Chinese otherwise stands for clean and contamination free and is used on organic products.

Yellow in Chinese – 黄色 huáng sè

Yellow In Chinese - Chinese Colors
Yellow In Chinese

Yellow in Chinese represents the element of earth.

Yellow signifies neutrality and good luck and that’s why it’s common to see it paired with red.

Yellow in China traditionally symbolised power, royalty and prosperity. In Imperial China, yellow was the Emperor’s color.

Warning! Today, yellow is symbolic of pornography in publications in China.

Try to use as little yellow in your publications to avoid the wrong crowds reading your articles.

Blue in Chinese – 蓝色 lán sè

Blue In Chinese - Chinese Colors
Blue In Chinese

Despite Chinese people’s feelings on blue cheese (see video)…

Blue in Chinese represents healing, trust and calmness.

Ironically, we lost all trust with our Chinese teachers after making them eat something that doesn’t go down too well with natives!

They give us stinky Chinese food, we give them blue cheese!

Revenge is sweet! See how they react below…

Purple in Chinese – 紫色 zǐ sè

Purple in China represented divinity and immortality in ancient times.

That is still true to this day.

Today purple in Chinese is more associated with love or romance particularly with younger generations.

Gray in Chinese – 灰色 huī sè

Grey in Chinese symbolises humbleness and unassumingness.

In ancient times, ordinary people wore grey clothes and had grey houses.

Today, Grey in Chinese can be used to describe something dark, tarnished, or represent gloomy weather and emotions.

Olympic Colors in Chinese

China has come a long way since Xu Haifeng won the nation’s first-ever gold medal in the 1984 Olympics’ ’50m pistol’ shooting event. The Olympic medal colors, however, have a much longer history in China. Read on to find out to say these colors and find out about their significance through China’s history.

Colors in Chinese | Gold in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Silver in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Bronze in Chinese

Gold in Chinese – 金色 jīn sè

Gold in Chinese
Gold in Chinese

Gold is traditionally the color of prosperity and fortune in China.

You will often see it paired with red for special occasions and gifts. Yellow or Gold is traditionally considered the most beautiful in Chinese culture.

Gold also represents freedom from worldly cares which is why it is also often used in Buddhist temples.

Gold represents the color of a winning Olympian!

Silver in Chinese – 银色 yín sè

Silver in Chinese
Silver in Chinese

Silver is generally considered to be part of the ‘white’ family of colours.

It symbolises the idea of purity and wealth.

In Chinese the word for this color is literally 银 “silver” 色 “color”.

Silver represents a 2nd placed finish for an Olympian.

Bronze in Chinese  – 古铜色 gǔ tóng sè

bronze in chinese
Bronze in Chinese

As in English, the word for Bronze color refers directly to the metal that inspired the name.

In Chinese the word for Bronze is 古 “ancient” 铜 “metal” 色 “color”.

In museums across China you can find many ancient Chinese tools, pots and other artefacts made out of the metal.

Bronze represents the 3rd placed finish for an Olympian.

More Obscure Colors in Chinese

Maybe you’re thinking of sprucing up your Hutong apartment by giving it a lick of paint or choosing a vibrant new wallpaper.

Or perhaps you just like talking about things with a certain amount of precision.

If so, you might want to learn the words for some of these extra, more obscure colors in Chinese.

Of course, there’s a whole catalogue of color names to get through, but here are some to start off your rainbow journey:

Colors in Chinese | Azure in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Saffron in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Turquoise in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Cerise in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Maroon in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Lilac in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Tan in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Indigo in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Beige in Chinese

Colors in Chinese | Violet in Chinese

Azure in Chinese / Saffron in Chinese

Turquoise in Chinese / Cerise in Chinese

Maroon in Chinese / Lilac in Chinese

Tan in Chinese / Indigo in Chinese

Beige in Chinese / Violet in Chinese

Want to discover more ways to learn Mandarin online – great! We’ve got two more things for you.

Chinese Colors Quiz

Let’s put you to the test and see how many of those colours you can remember with our Colors Quiz!

It’s really quick, super simple and the results are immediate! Share your score below if you are happy with it!

Welcome to your Chinese Colors

黑色 (hēi sè)

黄色 (huáng sè)

蓝色 (lán sè)

紫色 (zǐ sè)

粉色 (fěn sè)

红色 (hóng sè)

白色 (bái sè)

绿色 (lǜ sè)

灰色 (huī sè)

金色 (jīn sè)

银色 (yín sè)

古铜色 (gǔ tóng sè)

天蓝色 (tiānlán sè)

桔黄色 (júhuáng sè)

绿蓝色 (lǜlán sè)

水红色 (shuǐhóng sè)

栗色 (lì sè)

芋头色 (yùtou sè)

棕褐色 (zōng hésè)

靛色 (diàn sè)

米黄色 (mǐhuáng sè)

堇色 (jǐn sè)


If you REALLY love learning the colors in other languages, why not check out how to say all these colors in Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean as well also!

Chinese Colors || FAQs

How do you say Gold in Chinese?

Gold in Chinese is 金色 jīn sè.

How do you say Green in Chinese?

Green in Chinese is 绿色 lǜ sè.

How do you say Red in Chinese?

Red in Chinese is 红色 hóng sè.

How do you say White in Chinese?

White in Chinese is 白色 bái sè.

How do you say Yellow in Chinese?

Yellow in Chinese is 黄色 huáng sè.

What is the most popular colour in Chinese culture?

Red is. Red symbolises fortune and joy and is seen widely across China, not least the Chinese flag. Red in Chinese is 红色 hóng sè.

Is Black a good colour in Chinese culture?

Black represents bad fortune and must not be worn to auspicious occasions like weddings and funerals.

Do Chinese wear white clothes to funerals?

Yes they do. White is the color of mourning and is associated with Death. Something very important to note in Chinese culture if you happen to ever go a Chinese funeral.

What is the situation with wearing green hats in China?

Wearing a green hat is something you should avoid at all costs.

Here is why.

Starting in the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) family members of prostitutes were forced to wear green hats.

Even to this day, if someone is seen wearing a green hat, you might be thought of in ways you least expected!

Want more from LTL?

If you wish to hear more from LTL Language School why not join our mailing list.

We give plenty of handy information on learning Chinese, useful apps to learn the language and everything going on at our LTL schools!

Sign up below and become part of our ever growing community!

BONUS | Want to study the local Taiwanese dialect known as Hokkien? We provide Hokkien classes in person and online.

.

19 comments

Leave a Reply to Max Hobbs Cancel reply

You will get a reply from us
Your email address will not be published. Name and Email are required.

  1. Kinmen Island - Gateway to the Mainland - LTL Mandarin School
    Reply

    […] Meaning: Golden Gate  (金 Jīn = Gold; 门 mén = […]

  2. Top 6 Must See Cherry Blossoms in Beijing : Find Out First with LTL Beijing
    Reply

    […] the Temple of Heaven, there are 240 clove trees that line up to create a sea of color. You can find them near the Hall of […]

  3. Italy Meets China: 2019 China School Trip to Beijing - LTL Mandarin School
    Reply

    […] the group so large we divided the students into two groups, a yellow team and a blue team (LTL colours of […]

  4. Chinese Loanwords - Borrowed Words in English and Chinese - LTL Taiwan
    Reply

    […] the colour black in Chinese represents illegality, so it could be translated as ‘illegal guest’, a fitting term […]

  5. 100 Utterly Mindblowing Facts About China - See It To Believe It
    Reply

    […] 68. More than 30 million people live in caves in China, in Shaanxi province. 69. White is the colour of mourning and thus is always worn at funerals as a symbol of death. 70. Red is always worn at […]

  6. Great info, thanks for sharing this! Loving the depth of colours you’ve gone to!

    1. LTL Team HQ
      Reply

      That was the plan, you can find Red, Yellow and Blue everywhere… but what about Bronze, Silver and Gold?!

      LTL Team

      1. Jīn Shanshan
        Reply

        hen hao

  7. I Love You In Chinese - 37 Killer Phrases To Win At Love In Chinese
    Reply

    […] one of the most commonly used colours because it represents wealth and fortune. However the most common colour at a Chinese wedding is […]

  8. Jewellery in Chinese 💍 - 59 Must Know Words to Make You an Expert
    Reply

    […] gemstones have a colour followed by the characters for gemstone (宝石) or stone (石) afterwards. However, you’ll […]

  9. Evon Rivers
    Reply

    Thx for all the colors in chinese thank you so much.

    1. Max Hobbs
      Reply

      Our pleasure Evon!

  10. Makeup in Chinese 💄 - The Indepth Guide with 68 Key Words
    Reply

    […] powder – 古铜粉 (gǔ tóng fěn), 古铜 is the colour bronze. However, you’re unlikely to see many Chinese people wearing bronzing powder as a pale […]

  11. 100 Utterly Mindblowing Facts About China in 2020
    Reply

    […] White is the colour of mourning and thus is always worn at funerals as a symbol of […]

  12. Chelsea
    Reply

    Like the Olympic ones!

    1. Max Hobbs
      Reply

      🥇🥈🥉

  13. Is Silver Feminine Or Masculine? – Bescord
    Reply

    […] Silver is generally considered to be part of the 'white' family of colours. It symbolises the idea of purity and wealth. In Chinese the word for this color is literally 银 “silver” 色 “color”. via […]

  14. Jīn Shanshan
    Reply

    hen hao

Ask us a question!
  • LTL Avatar Manuel Saldaña Quintans
    Manuel Saldaña Quintans , Student Advisor

    Welcome to LTL Language School!

    How can I help you?