Definitions
(noun,adjective)
red; cinnabar
(noun)
pellet; pill
Etymology
Depicts a chunk of cinnabar found in a well for mining.
About
The character 丹 originated as an ideogram depicting a mineral within a mining well or crucible, specifically cinnabar, a bright red mercury sulfide. The central dot or stroke represents the mineral itself. Since cinnabar was prized in ancient Chinese alchemy for creating elixirs of immortality and ground into a vivid red pigment, the character primarily came to mean cinnabar or pellet-shaped medicines. Its meaning later expanded to denote the color red or crimson, reflecting the mineral’s striking natural hue.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
丹顶鹤是一种美丽的鸟。
这片丹霞地貌色彩斑斓。
练习气功时要意守丹田。
他对祖国怀有一片赤诚的丹心。
古代方士常常炼制药丹。
这幅画用丹青描绘了山水。
丹砂在古代曾用作颜料和药物。
考古学家分析了丹药的化学成分。