五彩缤纷
wǔcǎi bīnfēn
The English word "colorful" can be translated into Chinese as 五彩缤纷 (wǔcǎi bīnfēn).
The idiom 五彩缤纷 is typically used in a positive, aesthetic sense to describe things like flowers, fireworks or a vibrant scene.
Meaning: possessing prominent and varied colors (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The first part of the idiom, 五彩, literally means 'five colors', which is a traditional way to say 'many colors' or 'multicolored' in Chinese. The second part, 缤纷, describes a state of being multicolored, dazzling or profuse.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, you can express colorful as 鮮豔.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the idiom 五彩缤纷 as an adjective directly before a noun, you must add the particle 的 to the end of the phrase, forming 五彩缤纷的.
How do you pronounce it?
wǔcǎi bīnfēn
Did you know?
- In ancient Chinese cosmology, the 'five colors' mentioned in the idiom correspond to the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
- The character 缤 in 五彩缤纷 originally referred to the interlacing of colored threads in silk weaving.
- Unlike English where 'colorful' can describe a loud or eccentric personality, 五彩缤纷 is almost exclusively used for visual splendor.
Examples in context
- The traditional Chinese lanterns are 丰富多彩 (fēng fù duō cǎi) and add a festive touch to the atmosphere.The traditional Chinese lanterns are colorful and add a festive touch to the atmosphere.
- Spring is a season filled with 五彩斑斓 (wǔ cǎi bān lán) flowers blooming everywhere, bringing joy to the eyes.Spring is a season filled with colorful flowers blooming everywhere, bringing joy to the eyes.
- The paintings in the art gallery are so 绚丽 (xuàn lì), each stroke filled with vibrant colors that captivate the viewers.The paintings in the art gallery are so colorful, each stroke filled with vibrant colors that captivate the viewers.
- 这里的花朵真是五彩缤纷。Zhèlǐ de huāduǒ zhēnshì wǔcǎi bīnfēn.The flowers here are truly colorful.
- 她画了一幅五彩缤纷的画。Tā huàle yī fú wǔcǎi bīnfēn de huà.She painted a colorful picture.
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are walking through a botanical garden.
- 雨婷 Yuting你看，这些花真是五彩缤纷的！Nǐ kàn, zhèxiē huā zhēnshì wǔcǎi bīnfēn de!Look, these flowers are so colorful!
- 伟 Wei确实，整个花园都很漂亮。Quèshí, zhěnggè huāyuán dōu hěn piàoliang.Indeed, the whole garden is beautiful.
- 雨婷 Yuting我想在这里多拍几张照片。Wǒ xiǎng zài zhèlǐ duō pāi jǐ zhāng zhàopiàn.I want to take a few more photos here.
- 伟 Wei没问题，雨婷，你想拍多久都行。Méi wèntí, Yǔtíng, nǐ xiǎng pāi duōjiǔ dōu xíng.No problem, Yuting, you can take photos as long as you want.
