About
灰 is formed by the components 又 (a hand) placed above 火 (fire), illustrating the action of a hand picking through the ashes left after a fire. This composition directly points to the powdery residue of combustion: ash. From this primary meaning, the character naturally came to denote the color gray, the pale, dusty shade characteristic of ashes. The concept of a fire extinguished to ashes then gave rise to metaphorical extensions describing feelings of being disheartened, discouraged, or devoid of hope, as if one's inner fire has died out.
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Example Sentences Hide
天空是灰色的。
桌子上有很多灰尘。
他考试失败后很灰心。
大火之后只剩灰烬。
今天的天气很灰暗。
工人们正在用石灰粉刷墙壁。
他的头发已经变得灰白了。
即使遇到挫折，我们也不应该灰心丧气。
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