色 (sè) is a Chinese character meaning “color”. It is written from ⺈ (top form of 刀 (knife); a short slash with a turning stroke tucked under it) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “color”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
⺈ + 巴
Top–bottom structure
- ⺈ claw-top form; the flattened top of 刀 seen in 争, 色, 龟 unknown
- 巴 to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba) · bā unknown
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（2+4 笔与 hanzi-writer-data 逐笔核验一致）
Memory aid
A knife-top (⺈) leaning over 巴. Both parts really are in this character — picture the little blade shaving a curl off the block below and exposing the bright color inside.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 颜色yán sècolor; colour色 = sè
- 灰色huī sègray; grey色 = sè
- 红色hóng sèred; the colour red色 = sè
- 角色jué sèrole; character (in a play or film)色 = sè
- 彩色cǎi sèmulticoloured; in colour色 = sè
- 染色rǎn sèto dye; to stain; dyeing色 = sè
- 浅色qiǎn sèlight color; pale shade色 = sè
- 绿色lǜ sègreen; green (eco-friendly)色 = sè
- 肤色fū sèskin colour; complexion色 = sè
- 脸色liǎn sècomplexion; the look on someone's face色 = sè
- 逊色xùn sèto be inferior; to pale in comparison色 = sè
- 银色yín sèsilver (colour)色 = sè
- 黄色huáng sèyellow (the colour)色 = sè
Go deeper
All readings
color
color; hue; look on someone's face; quality of goods
颜色；也指脸上的神情或事物的成色。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 颜色yán sècolor; colour色 = sè
- 灰色huī sègray; grey色 = sè
- 红色hóng sèred; the colour red色 = sè
- 角色jué sèrole; character (in a play or film)色 = sè
- 彩色cǎi sèmulticoloured; in colour色 = sè
- 染色rǎn sèto dye; to stain; dyeing色 = sè
- 浅色qiǎn sèlight color; pale shade色 = sè
- 绿色lǜ sègreen; green (eco-friendly)色 = sè
- 肤色fū sèskin colour; complexion色 = sè
- 脸色liǎn sècomplexion; the look on someone's face色 = sè
- 逊色xùn sèto be inferior; to pale in comparison色 = sè
- 银色yín sèsilver (colour)色 = sè
- 黄色huáng sèyellow (the colour)色 = sè
Rare readings, not taught: shǎi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 色 mean?
色 (sè) means color; hue; look on someone's face; quality of goods.
How do you pronounce 色?
It is pronounced sè.
What parts is 色 made of?
⺈ (top form of 刀 (knife); a short slash with a turning stroke tucked under it) and 巴 (to cling to; (transliteration syllable ba)), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（2+4 笔与 hanzi-writer-data 逐笔核验一致）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 色 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 色?
色. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 色?
Common ones are 颜色 and 灰色. The reading of 色 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.