黑色
hēisè/xeɪ̯⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/
黑色 (hēisè) is the Chinese word for black.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 黑色 | hēisè | /xeɪ̯⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) | |
| 黑 | hek | /hiɪk̚⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Dehua, General Taiwanese) /hiɪk̚³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Dehua, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 黑色 | hek-sek | /hiɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siɪk̚³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) | Hokkien |
| 烏色 / 乌色 | o͘-siak / o͘-sek | Hokkien |
The term refers to the color that absorbs all light. While the single character 黑 can function as the adjective 'black' in many compound words or informal descriptions, 黑色 is the noun for the color black.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word хи (hi) is used. In Hokkien, you can use 黑 (hek), 黑色 (hek-sek) or 烏色 / 乌色 (o͘-siak / o͘-sek).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective 'black' to modify a noun, it is common to add the particle '的' (de) to form 黑色的.
How do you pronounce it?
hek-sek (/xeɪ̯⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/)
Did you know?
- The character 黑 originally depicted a person with a dark, tattooed face, a practice used as a form of punishment in ancient China.
- In Chinese culture, the color black is associated with the North and the element of Water in the traditional Five Elements theory.
- In modern Chinese slang, 黑 is used as a verb meaning to 'troll' or 'smear' someone's reputation online. This usage mirrors the English concept of 'blackening' someone's name.
Examples in context
- 他喜歡黑人。He likes black people.This sentence uses the form 黑 to discuss people.Tatoeba #6154351 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276520 by Kiwi
- 黑洞存在吗？Do black holes exist?This sentence uses the form 黑 to discuss black holes.Tatoeba #8496270 by maxine, translation #8279722 by lunchmeat317
- 猫是黑色的。The cat is black.This sentence uses the form 黑 to describe the color of a cat.Tatoeba #9969967 by GlossaMatik, translation #1107280 by CK
- 这件衣服是黑的This clothing is black.
- 那只小猫是黑色的That little cat is black.
- 我今天穿了一条黑裤子I wore black pants today.
- 这个电子设备有黑屏问题This electronic device has a black screen issue.
- 98 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new car.
- 俊杰 Junjie你喜欢什么颜色的车？Nǐ xǐhuān shénme yánsè de chē?What color car do you like?
- 梓涵 Zihan我最喜欢黑色的。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān hēisè de.I like black the most.
- 俊杰 Junjie黑色看起来很酷。Hēisè kàn qǐlái hěn kù.Black looks very cool.
- 梓涵 Zihan对，梓涵也喜欢黑色。Duì, Zǐhán yě xǐhuān hēisè.Yes, Zihan also likes black.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries 黑色, 黑, 黑色, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 黑, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
