蓝色
lánsè
Blue · trad. 藍色
蓝色 (lán sè) is the standard word for 'blue' in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to the color blue in general, applicable to various shades from light to dark.
What does 蓝色 (lánsè) mean?
蓝色 (lánsè) means “blue” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “blue color.”
When to use it
Neutral. It's the most common and versatile way to refer to the color blue. For specific shades, you can add modifiers like 浅 (qiǎn, light) or 深 (shēn, dark). Sometimes, just 蓝 (lán) is used as an adjective, especially in compound words.
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like 'LAHN-suh.' 蓝 (lán) has a rising tone, and 色 (sè) has a falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 蓝lánblue (often used as an adjective)
- 浅蓝色qiǎn lánsèlight blue
- 深蓝色shēn lánsèdark blue
Examples
我最喜欢的颜色是蓝色。
wǒ zuì xǐhuan de yánsè shì lánsè.
My favorite color is blue.
天空是蓝色的。
tiānkōng shì lánsè de.
The sky is blue.
她穿了一条蓝色的裙子。
tā chuān le yī tiáo lánsè de qúnzi.
She wore a blue dress.
Pro tip: While 蓝色 is the full word for 'blue,' the character 蓝 (lán) alone is often used as an adjective, especially in common phrases like 蓝天 (lán tiān, blue sky) or 蓝眼睛 (lán yǎnjīng, blue eyes). You'll hear both, so don't be surprised if the 色 is sometimes omitted!
Related phrases
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