STI College Southwoods

“MANDARIN COLORS”

Assignment in
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Saturday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Submitted by:
Abigail Drio
BS HRM 701P

Date submitted:
September 12, 2015
 ABIGAIL DRIO
BS HRM 701P

MANDARIN COLORS
RED (紅色)

Corresponding with fire, symbolizes good fortune and joy. Red is found everywhere during
Chinese New Year and other holidays and family gatherings. A red envelope is a monetary gift
which is given in Chinese society during holiday or special occasions. The red color of the packet
symbolizes good luck. Red is strictly forbidden at funerals as it is a traditionally symbolic color of
happiness;[1] however, as the names of the dead were previously written in red, it may be
considered offensive to use red ink for Chinese names in contexts other than official seals. In
modern China, red remains a very popular color and is affiliated with and used by the
Communist government.

 Five Elements: Fire; Direction: South; Season: summer; Condition: heat; 

Energy: expansive; Phase: full Yang; Development: blooming; Planet: Mars; 
Animal: winged, especially poultry; Heavenly creature: Vermilion Bird, (Red) pheasant;
Fruit: apricot; Grain: beans; 
Action: sight; Sense: touch; Sound: laughing; Smell: scorched; Taste: bitter; 
Trigram bagua: Li 

BLACK (黑色)

The opposite of red is black. Black, corresponding to water, is a neutral color. The I Ching, or
Book of Changes, regards black as Heaven’s color. The saying “heaven and earth of mysterious
black” was rooted in the observation that the northern sky was black for a long time. They
believed Tian Di, or Heavenly Emperor, resided in the North Star. The Taiji symbol uses black
and white to represent the unity of Yin and Yang. Ancient Chinese regarded black as the king of
colors and honored black more consistently than any other color. Lao Zi said that five colors
make people blind, so the Dao School chose black as the color of the Dao. Black also means
depression, sadness, and possibly means death. In modern China, black is used in daily clothing.
White is associated with death and mourning and was formerly worn at funerals, but depends
on the age of passing.

 Five Elements: Water; Direction: North; Season: winter; Condition: cold; 

Energy: conserving; Phase: full Yin; Development: dormant; Planet: Mercury; 
Animal: shelled, especially tortoise; Celestial creature: (Black) Tortoise; Fruit: chestnut;
Grain: millet; 
Action: listening; Sense: hearing; Sound: moaning; Smell: rotten; Taste: salty; 
Trigram bagua: K’an

WHITE (白色)
 ABIGAIL DRIO
BS HRM 701P

Used in funerals, it is not associated with evil, but rather the absence of life, as during winter.
White, corresponding with metal, represents gold and symbolizes brightness, purity, and
fulfillment. White is also the color of mourning. It is associated with death and is used
predominantly in funerals in Chinese culture.[3] Ancient Chinese people wore white clothes and
hats only when they mourned for the dead.

 Five Elements: Metal; Direction: West; Season: autumn; Condition: dry, clear; 
Energy: contracting; Phase: new Yin; Development: withering; Planet: Venus; 
Animal: furred, especially tiger; Celestial creature: (White) Tiger; Fruit: peach; Grain:
hemp; 
Action: speech; Sense: smell; Sound: lamenting; Smell: putrid; Taste: pungent, spicy,
acrid;
Trigram bagua: Qian/ Quian, Dui

YELLOW (黄色)

Yellow, corresponding with earth, is considered the most beautiful and prestigious color. The
Chinese saying, Yellow generates Yin and Yang, implies that yellow is the center of everything.
Associated with but ranked above brown, yellow signifies neutrality and good luck. Yellow is
sometimes paired with red in place of gold. Yellow was the emperor's colour in Imperial China
and is held as the symbolic color of the five legendary emperors of ancient China. Yellow often
decorates royal palaces, altars and temples, and the color was used in the robes and attire of
the emperors. Yellow also represents freedom from worldly cares and is thus esteemed in
Buddhism. Monks’ garments are yellow, as are elements of Buddhist temples. Yellow is also
used as a mourning color for Chinese Buddhists. Yellow is also symbolic of heroism, as opposed
to the American association of the colour with cowardice.

 Five Elements: Earth; Direction: Centre, zenith; Season: change of season (every 3rd
month); Condition: damp, wind; 
Energy: stabilizing; Phase: Yin- Yang balance; Development: ripening; Planet: Saturn; 
Animals: naked (mankind); Celestial creature: (Yellow) Dragon, (Yellow) Qilin, Phoenix;
Fruit: dates; Grain: rice; 
Action: thought; Sense: touch, taste; Sound: singing; Smell: fragrant; Taste: sweet,
aromatic.
Trigram bagua: K’un, Gen

GREEN (綠色)

Generally green is associated with health, prosperity, and harmony. Recently, the color has also
been associated with the PRC's harmonization efforts, such as the controversial Green Dam
Youth Escort internet censorship software. Separately, green hats are associated with infidelity
and used as an idiom for a cuckold.[2] This has caused uneasiness for Chinese Catholic bishops,
who in ecclesiastical heraldry would normally have a green hat above their arms. Chinese
 ABIGAIL DRIO
BS HRM 701P

bishops have compromised by using a violet hat for their coat of arms. Sometimes this hat will
have an indigo feather to further display their disdain for the color green.

 Five Elements: Wood; Direction: East; Season: spring; Condition: windy, rain;
Energy: generative; Phase: new Yang; Development: generative; Planet: Jupiter; 
Animal: scaled, especially dragon; Heavenly creature: (Azure, Green) Dragon; Fruit:
plum; Grain: wheat; 
Action: countenance; Sense: sight; Sound: calling; Smell: rancid; Taste: sour;
Trigram bagua: Xun/Sun, Zhen

PURPLE (紫色)

Spiritual awareness, physical and mental healing, hence strength, abundance, red purple brings
luck and fame. Purple (紫; zǐ) refers to the North Star (Polaris), which in ancient China was
called the Ziwei Star, the North Star was in traditional Chinese astrology the abode of the
Celestial Emperor. (see also: Purple Forbidden City)

BLUE-GREEN

is still a symbol of spring when everything is filled with vigor and vitality. Therefore, someone
that is hoping for longevity and harmony will decorate with blue-green colors.

BLUE (藍色)

Conserving, healing, relaxation, exploration, trust, calmness, immortality

BROWN (咖啡色)

Industrious, grounded

GOLD 

Completeness, wealth, metal, God consciousness

GREY (灰色)

Dull, indefinite, though also silver, hence income

ORANGE (橘色 or 橙色) 

Indicating change, adaptability, spontaneity, strengthens concentration 

PINK - LOVE
 ABIGAIL DRIO
BS HRM 701P

SILVER 

Metal (income, wealth), trustworthiness, romance 

MANDARN COLOR SWITH PINYIN CHARACTER:

Color Pinyin Traditional Simplified

white bái sè 白色 白色
blue lán sè 藍色 蓝色

yellow huáng sè 黃色 黄色
green lǜ sè 綠色 绿色

red hóng sè 紅色 红色

orange jú sè or chéng sè 橘色 or 橙色 橘色 or 橙色

brown kāfēi sè 咖啡色 咖啡色

black hēi sè 黑色 黑色
purple zǐ sè 紫色 紫色
grey huī sè 灰色 灰色