About
The character "褐" originated in early Chinese as a term for coarse garments made from hemp or animal hair, which were typically worn by the common people, and its structure combines the clothing radical "衤" with the phonetic component "曷" to form a phono-semantic compound that initially highlighted this material association. Over time, the semantic range of the character shifted from denoting the rough cloth itself to describing its characteristic color, a dull brown or yellowish shade, which became the primary meaning in contemporary usage. This transition from a concrete object to an abstract color term reflects a linguistic pattern where material references gradually evolve into chromatic descriptors, and the character's form has remained consistent throughout its historical development.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这件衣服是褐色的。
褐色的咖啡杯很温暖。
他穿着褐色的外套出门。
褐煤是一种常见的煤炭。
褐藻生长在海洋的深处。
博物馆里陈列着褐铁矿标本。
褐耳鹰在森林中寻找食物。
经过多年的风化，岩石表面呈现褐黄色。