Chinese character for yellow: 黄 (huáng)
The Chinese character for yellow is 黄 (huáng). It means yellow and appears in 黄色 (huángsè, yellow color) and 黄河 (Huáng Hé, the Yellow River). Yellow was the imperial color of ancient China.
How 黄 is built
The origin of 黄 is uncertain; ancient forms are often read as a person wearing a jade pendant, or as a burning arrow. As a memory aid, see the field-like 田 shape at its center, golden yellow like the loess soil and ripe crops of northern China. The traditional form 黃 differs slightly at the top. Note that 黄色 in modern slang can also mean pornographic.
黄 huáng · yellow
- 由yóu — cause
- 八bā — eight
Origin hint: A jade pendant (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 黄 is used
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 黄 alone is fine, but 黄色 can carry an adult meaning in slang, so ask a native speaker about your exact phrase.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for yellow?
黄 (huáng) means “yellow”. In traditional characters it is written 黃.
How do you pronounce 黄?
黄 is pronounced huáng.
Is 黄 simplified or traditional?
黄 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore; 黃 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.