黑

• Pinyin: hēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 黑 — pictograph representing soot marks from fire; one of the basic color characters.

Meaning

Black; dark. Describes the color black or the absence of light.

Beyond color, 黑 can describe darkness (天黑了 — it's getting dark) and is used in many compound words. Colloquially can imply shady or illegal (黑市 — black market).

Examples

1. 她的头发是黑的。 Her hair is black.
2. 天黑了，我们回家吧。 It's getting dark — let's go home.
3. 他穿了一件黑外套。 He wore a black coat.

Usage Guide

Context: colors, descriptions, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 她有一双黑眼睛。(She has a pair of black eyes.)
• 外面太黑了，小心走路。(It's too dark outside — be careful walking.)

Don't Say

• 不要用黑来形容人的皮肤颜色 (Avoid using 黑 to describe someone's skin color — it can be considered rude or insensitive)

Origin & History

Ancient character depicting soot or the dark residue of fire. One of the oldest color terms in Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal