漆 (qī) - Lacquer & varnish

漆Tone 1

qī ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

七器

漆 · qī

Lacquer;

varnish;

paint;

a dark brown color;

a surname.

Lacquervarnishpaint

Usage highlights

LacquerLacquerwarePaintLacquer treeLacquerworkRaw lacquer

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 素— plain; unadorned
  • 朴— simple; unvarnished

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The table has a coat of lacquer (漆).
  • He painted the wall with black paint (漆).
  • This is a traditional lacquerware box (漆器).
  • The car needs a new coat of paint (喷漆).

Collocations

  • Lacquer(漆)
  • Lacquerware(漆器)
  • Paint(油漆)
  • Lacquer tree(漆树)
  • Lacquerwork(漆工)
  • Raw lacquer(生漆)

Idioms

  • As if coated with lacquer — describing extreme darkness(如胶似漆)
  • Black lacquer tablet — pitch black(漆黑一团)
  • Lacquer and vermilion — completely different(丹漆随梦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Lacquer has been used in China for over 7,000 years, with the earliest lacquerware found at the Hemudu site.
  • Chinese lacquerware is considered one of the great traditional arts, with intricate techniques developed over millennia.
  • The lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) is native to China and the sap is harvested to make natural lacquer.

FAQ