褐

hè

曷 + 衤

Definitions

hè brown; gray or dark color; coarse hemp cloth; Taiwan pr. [hé]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 衤 represents the meaning and 曷 represents the sound.

Semantic: 衤 Phonetic: 曷

About

褐 is a phonosemantic compound: 衤 (the clothing radical) on the left suggests the meaning, while 曷 on the right indicates the pronunciation. Originally, this character referred to coarse, undyed clothing made from hemp or rough animal hair, typically worn by commoners and those of low social status. Because these rough garments retained the natural dark, earthy tones of the fibers, the primary meaning shifted over time to the color brown. In contemporary Chinese, 褐 functions almost exclusively as a color adjective, and the historical connection to coarse cloth is encountered only in classical literature.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这件衣服是褐色的。

Zhè jiàn yīfu shì hèsè de.

This piece of clothing is brown.

褐色的咖啡杯很温暖。

Hèsè de kāfēi bēi hěn wēnnuǎn.

The brown coffee cup is very warm.

他穿着褐色的外套出门。

Tā chuānzhe hèsè de wàitào chūmén.

He went out wearing a brown coat.

褐煤是一种常见的煤炭。

Hèméi shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn de méitàn.

Lignite is a common type of coal.

褐藻生长在海洋的深处。

Hèzǎo shēngzhǎng zài hǎiyáng de shēnchù.

Brown algae grow in the deep parts of the ocean.

博物馆里陈列着褐铁矿标本。

Bówùguǎn lǐ chénlièzhe hètiě kuàng biāoběn.

The museum displays specimens of limonite.

褐耳鹰在森林中寻找食物。

Hè'ěr yīng zài sēnlín zhōng xúnzhǎo shíwù.

The brown-eared hawk searches for food in the forest.

经过多年的风化，岩石表面呈现褐黄色。

Jīngguò duō nián de fēnghuà, yánshí biǎomiàn chéngxiàn hè huáng sè.

After years of weathering, the surface of the rock appears brownish-yellow.

Related Characters

Component: 曷

Component: 衤

褐