About
胭 is composed of the semantic radical 月 (yuè), which here denotes flesh or the body, paired with the phonetic component 因 (yīn). It primarily refers to rouge or a red cosmetic dye applied to the cheeks or lips. The flesh radical reflects this direct application to the skin. The character is most commonly encountered in the compound 胭脂 (yānzhī), the traditional red cosmetic paste made from safflower. Its structure thus encodes the specific use of a body-applied colorant.