褐 (hè) - Brown — the color brown & coarse cloth made of hemp or coarse fibers

褐Tone 4

hè ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

褐 · hè

Brown — the color brown;

coarse cloth made of hemp or coarse fibers;

rustic clothing worn by commoners.

Brown — the color browncoarse cloth made of hemp or coarse fibersrustic clothing worn by commoners.

Usage highlights

Brown colorBrown sugarCoarse cloth clothingBrown bearBrown riceBrown earth

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She wore a brown coat (褐色外套).
  • The table is made of brown wood (褐色木材).
  • He prefers brown sugar (红糖).
  • The monk wore a coarse brown robe (褐衣).

Collocations

  • Brown color(褐色)
  • Brown sugar(红糖)
  • Coarse cloth clothing(褐衣)
  • Brown bear(褐熊)
  • Brown rice(褐米)
  • Brown earth(褐土)

Idioms

  • To wear coarse cloth and eat simple food(褐衣蔬食)
  • To be released from coarse clothing and take office(释褐)
  • Coarse cloth and unfinished silk(褐布素丝)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, '褐' referred to coarse, undyed hemp clothing worn by peasants and commoners, symbolizing poverty and humility.
  • In imperial China, passing the imperial examinations and receiving an official post was called '释褐' (shì hè), meaning to cast off commoner's clothing.
  • The color brown is associated with earth, simplicity, and autumn in traditional Chinese color symbolism.

FAQ