蓝色
lán sè
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.
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 lán sèlight blue
- 深蓝色shēn lán sèdark blue
Examples
我最喜欢的颜色是蓝色。
wǒ zuì xǐ huan de yán sè shì lán sè 。
My favorite color is blue.
天空是蓝色的。
tiān kōng shì lán sè de 。
The sky is blue.
她穿了一条蓝色的裙子。
tā chuān le yì tiáo lán sè de qún zǐ 。
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
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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