硃 (zhū) - Vermilion, cinnabar — a red pigment made from & also used in traditional Chinese medicine and seals.

硃Tone 1

zhū ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

志

硃 · zhū

Vermilion, cinnabar — a red pigment made from mercuric sulfide;

also used in traditional Chinese medicine and seals.

Vermilion, cinnabar — a red pigment made fromalso used in traditional Chinese medicine and seals.

Usage highlights

Cinnabar/vermilionVermilion ink/stampVermilion brush/annotationVermilion powderVermilion textVermilion seal

Synonyms

  • 朱— vermilion, scarlet (more common character for the color)
  • 丹— cinnabar, red (poetic or alchemical)
  • 赤— red, scarlet

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The official seal was stamped with vermilion ink (硃印).
  • Cinnabar is used in traditional Chinese medicine (硃砂).
  • The document bore a vermilion mark (硃批).
  • Vermilion powder is a mineral pigment (硃粉).

Collocations

  • Cinnabar/vermilion(硃砂)
  • Vermilion ink/stamp(硃印)
  • Vermilion brush/annotation(硃批)
  • Vermilion powder(硃粉)
  • Vermilion text(硃字)
  • Vermilion seal(硃記)

Idioms

  • Near cinnabar, one turns red; near ink, one turns black(近硃者赤，近墨者黑)
  • Vermilion brush annotations(硃筆批示)
  • Vermilion seal and purple ribbon(硃印紫綬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 硃砂 (cinnabar) was historically a crucial mineral for producing the color vermilion, used in imperial seals, official documents, and art.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, processed cinnabar (硃砂) is used for its purported calming properties, though it contains mercury and must be used with caution.
  • The color vermilion (硃色) was associated with authority, vitality, and good fortune, often used in important ceremonies and documents.

FAQ