How to write 色 (sè, “color”)
色, an HSK 2 character, is read sè for “color” and “look”, and also shǎi (“color”). As a top-bottom character it splits into ⺈ (“knife”), strokes 1–2; 巴 (“to long for”), strokes 3–6, written the top first. Among the HSK words it appears in 白色 (“white”), 红色 (“red (color)”) and 绿色 (“green”). Japanese reads it iro, “color”, as a JLPT N4 kanji.
- Pinyin
- sè, shǎi
- Strokes
- 6
- HSK
- 2
- Radical
- 色 (“color”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- topdown and left
- toprightwards → down and left
- leftrightwards → down and left
- centerdownwards → down and left
- leftrightwards
- leftdown and right → up and right
Japanese and Chinese
The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (6 strokes in Japanese, 6 strokes in Chinese).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| sè fourth tone | color; look; appearance | — | 白色 红色 绿色 颜色 |
| shǎi third tone | (coll.) color; used in 色子 (shǎizi) | — | — |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 2
- 2021 standard
- level 2
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 2 word
- Words with it
- 315 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 色
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 白色 | báisè | white; fig. reactionary HSK 2 |
| 红色 紅色 | hóngsè | red (color); revolutionary HSK 2 |
| 绿色 綠色 | lǜsè | green HSK 2 |
| 颜色 顏色 | yánsè | color; countenance HSK 2 |
| 黑色 | hēisè | black HSK 2 |
| 黄色 黃色 | huángsè | yellow HSK 3 |
| 景色 | jǐngsè | scenery; landscape HSK 4 |
| 出色 | chūsè | remarkable; outstanding HSK 5 |
| 五颜六色 五顏六色 | wǔyán-liùsè | multicolored; every color under the sun HSK 5 |
| 特色 | tèsè | a characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality HSK 5 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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Keep going
HSK 2, in list order: