靛 (diàn) - Indigo — a deep blue dye obtained from & the color between blue and violet in the

靛Tone 4

diàn ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

靛 · diàn

Indigo — a deep blue dye obtained from plants;

the color between blue and violet in the spectrum.

Indigo — a deep blue dye obtained fromthe color between blue and violet in the

Usage highlights

Indigo blueIndigo dyeIndigo plantIndigo colorIndigo printingIndigo dyeing

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 红— red (color opposite)
  • 橙— orange (complementary color)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The traditional fabric was dyed with indigo (靛蓝).
  • Indigo dyeing is an ancient craft (靛染 craft).
  • She wore a beautiful indigo dress (靛色 dress).
  • The indigo plant is used to produce the dye (靛草 plant).

Collocations

  • Indigo blue(靛蓝)
  • Indigo dye(靛青)
  • Indigo plant(靛草)
  • Indigo color(靛色)
  • Indigo printing(靛印)
  • Indigo dyeing(靛染)

Idioms

  • Blue comes from the indigo plant but is bluer than it(青出于蓝而胜于蓝)
  • Indigo blue and cinnabar red(丹青不渝)
  • Blue as indigo, white as snow(青如靛, 白如雪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Indigo dye has been used in China for over 2,000 years, particularly in traditional textile production.
  • The character combines 'blue' (青) and 'settle/fix' (定), referring to the process of fixing the blue dye.
  • Indigo dyeing was historically important in many Chinese ethnic minority cultures, particularly the Miao and Dong peoples.
  • In traditional Chinese color theory, indigo represents one of the fundamental colors in the spectrum.

FAQ