Chinese character for white: 白 (bái)
The Chinese character for white is 白 (bái). It means white and also pure, clear or plain, as in 白色 (báisè, white color) and 明白 (míngbai, to understand). In Chinese tradition white is also the color of mourning.
How 白 is built
The origin of 白 is debated, so take this as a memory aid. It is often explained as the sun 日 with a ray of light shooting from the top, the bright white of daylight. Others see a grain of rice or a candle flame. 白 gives the sound to 百 (hundred) and appears in 的 and 泊. It is identical in simplified and traditional Chinese.
白 bái · white
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
Origin hint: A burning candle; the rays of the sun (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 白 is used
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 白 is identical in both scripts; remember that white is linked with funerals in Chinese culture.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for white?
白 (bái) means “white”.
How do you pronounce 白?
白 is pronounced bái.