About
The character 黛, in its traditional form, is composed of the radical 黑 meaning "black" and the phonetic component 代 (dài), which hints at its pronunciation and also carries a sense of substitution or representation. Its original and core meaning was a black pigment, specifically a form of processed soot, used historically by women to darken their eyebrows, a practice central to classical ideals of beauty. Over time, the meaning expanded from the physical substance itself to directly signify those dark, powdered eyebrows, and by further poetic extension, it became a conventional metonymy for a beautiful woman, particularly in classical literature. Thus, its semantic journey moved from a specific cosmetic material to a broader aesthetic symbol, all while retaining its fundamental association with the color black and its application in adornment.
Example Sentences Hide
她的眉毛宛如黛色。
她用黛笔轻轻描眉。
黛玉是红楼梦里的角色。
山色空蒙，远峰如黛。
她眉间总凝着一抹轻黛。
妆容精致，黛眉朱唇相映。
春山淡冶而如笑，夏山苍翠而如滴，秋山明净而如妆，冬山惨淡而如睡，四时之山色皆可入黛。
这幅水墨画以淡黛渲染出江南的烟雨迷离。