HSK 5 · Article · 512 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-colours-mean-in-china

红色和白色在中国代表什么？

What colours mean in China: red for luck, white for funerals

Name: ________________ Date: ________

安娜ānnà第一次dìyīcì参加cānjiā中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu的de生日shēngrì聚会jùhuì，想xiǎng送sòng她tā一yì张zhāng卡片kǎpiàn。她tā拿出náchū一yì支zhī红hóng笔bǐ，认真rènzhēn地de写下xiěxià了le朋友péngyǒu的de名字míngzi，后面hòumiàn还hái画huà了le一yì朵duǒ小花xiǎohuā。没想到méixiǎngdào，朋友péngyǒu看到kàndào以后yǐhòu，竟然jìngrán不bú笑xiào了le。安娜ānnà很hěn吃惊chījīng：在zài中国zhōngguó，红色hóngsè不是búshì代表dàibiǎo好运hǎoyùn吗ma？

红色hóngsè确实quèshí代表dàibiǎo幸福xìngfú和hé好运hǎoyùn。过guò春节chūnjié的de时候shíhou，人们rénmen都dōu会huì贴tiē红色hóngsè的de春联chūnlián，挂guà红hóng灯笼dēnglong，老人lǎorén还hái会huì把bǎ红包hóngbāo送给sònggěi孩子háizi。结婚jiéhūn的de时候shíhou，到处dàochù也yě都dōu是shì红色hóngsè：红色hóngsè的de“喜xǐ”字zì，红色hóngsè的de衣服yīfu，红hóng纸包zhǐbāo着zhe的de糖táng。所以suóyǐ，中国zhōngguó人rén把bǎ结婚jiéhūn这样zhèyàng的de喜事xǐshì叫作jiàozuò“红hóng事shì”。

和hé红色hóngsè相反xiāngfǎn，白色báisè在zài传统chuántǒng上shàng常常chángcháng和hé死亡sǐwáng有关yǒuguān。以前yǐqián，家里jiālǐ有人yǒurén去世qùshì，家人jiārén要yào穿chuān白色báisè的de衣服yīfu，所以suóyǐ人们rénmen也yě把bǎ葬礼zànglǐ叫作jiàozuò“白bái事shì”。人们rénmen还hái常常chángcháng把bǎ这zhè两liǎng种zhǒng事shì放fàng在zài一起yìqǐ，叫jiào“红白喜事hóngbái-xǐshì”。参加cānjiā葬礼zànglǐ的de时候shíhou，大家dàjiā一般yìbān不会búhuì穿chuān红色hóngsè，因为yīnwèi红色hóngsè太tài热闹rènao了le，让ràng人rén觉得juéde不bù礼貌lǐmào。

那么nàme，为什么wèishénme不能bùnéng用yòng红hóng笔bǐ写xiě名字míngzi呢ne？有yǒu一种yìzhǒng说法shuōfǎ是shì，古代gǔdài被bèi判pàn死刑sǐxíng的de人rén，名字míngzi是shì用yòng红色hóngsè写xiě的de。因此yīncǐ很hěn多duō人rén觉得juéde，用yòng红hóng笔bǐ写xiě别人biéren的de名字míngzi，就jiù好像hǎoxiàng希望xīwàng他tā遇到yùdào不好bùhǎo的de事shì。当然dāngrán，老师lǎoshī还是háishi可以kéyǐ用yòng红hóng笔bǐ改gǎi作业zuòyè，只是zhǐshì写xiě名字míngzi的de时候shíhou，最好zuìhǎo用yòng黑hēi笔bǐ或者huòzhě蓝lán笔bǐ。

颜色yánsè的de意思yìsi也yě不是búshì一直yìzhí不变búbiàn的de。比如bǐrú，如今rújīn很hěn多duō新娘xīnniáng会huì穿chuān白色báisè的de婚纱hūnshā，这zhè在zài以前yǐqián是shì很hěn难nán想象xiǎngxiàng的de。不过búguò，到dào了le晚上wǎnshang请客qǐngkè吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou，不少bùshǎo新娘xīnniáng又yòu会huì换huàn上shàng红色hóngsè的de传统chuántǒng衣服yīfu。此外cǐwài，还有háiyǒu一个yígè让ràng外国人wàiguórén吃惊chījīng的de例子lìzi：在zài中国zhōngguó的de股市gǔshì里，红色hóngsè表示biǎoshì上升shàngshēng，绿色lǜsè表示biǎoshì下降xiàjiàng，正好zhènghǎo和hé美国měiguó等děng很hěn多duō国家guójiā相反xiāngfǎn。

于是yúshì，安娜ānnà用yòng黑hēi笔bǐ重新chóngxīn写xiě了le一yì张zhāng卡片kǎpiàn。朋友péngyǒu笑xiào着zhe对duì她tā说shuō：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ！不过búguò下次xiàcì送sòng红包hóngbāo的话dehuà，红色hóngsè越yuè多duō越yuè好hǎo。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
聚会	jùhuì	party; gathering; to get together
吃惊	chījīng	to be surprised; to be startled
确实	quèshí	really; indeed; true; reliable
幸福	xìngfú	happy; blessed; happiness; well-being
挂	guà	to hang; to put up
红包	hóngbāo	red envelope (gift of money); digital red packet (on apps)
叫作	jiàozuò	to be called; to be known as
相反	xiāngfǎn	opposite; contrary; on the contrary
热闹	rènao	lively; bustling; fun; excitement
礼貌	lǐmào	courtesy; manners; polite; courteous
说法	shuōfǎ	version; account; view
因此	yīncǐ	therefore; consequently; for this reason

English (for the teacher)

Anna was going to a Chinese friend’s birthday party for the first time and wanted to give her a card. She took out a red pen, carefully wrote her friend’s name, and drew a little flower after it. To her surprise, when her friend saw it, the smile disappeared. Anna was taken aback: doesn’t red stand for good luck in China?

Red really does mean happiness and good luck. At Spring Festival people put up red couplets and hang red lanterns, and the old give red envelopes to the children. At weddings there’s red everywhere too: the red character for “joy”, red clothes, sweets in red wrappers. That’s why Chinese people call a happy occasion like a wedding a “red event”.

White is the opposite: traditionally it is often linked with death. In the past, when someone in the family died, the family wore white, so a funeral is also called a “white event”. People often put the two together, too, as “red and white events”: weddings and funerals. At a funeral people usually don’t wear red, because it’s too festive and seems disrespectful.

So why can’t you write a name in red? One explanation is that in ancient times, the names of people sentenced to death were written in red. So many people feel that writing someone’s name in red pen is like wishing something bad on them. Of course, teachers can still mark homework in red; it’s just best to write names in black or blue.

The meanings of colours don’t stay the same forever, either. Many brides today wear a white wedding dress, for example, which would once have been hard to imagine. But at the evening banquet, plenty of brides change into traditional red clothes. And here’s one more example that surprises foreigners: on China’s stock market red means a rise and green a fall, the opposite of the US and many other countries.

So Anna wrote a new card in black pen. Her friend smiled and said: “Thank you! Next time you give me a red envelope, though, the more red the better.”