白

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

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Radical 106 白

白 (Kangxi radical 106, 白+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 竹日 (HA), four-corner 2600₀, composition ⿱丿日)

1. Kangxi radical #106, ⽩.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/白
• 伯, 𪞜, 㕷, 𡊚, 𡛳, 𪦺, 岶, 帕, 廹, 怕, 拍, 泊, 狛, 迫, 𢫗, 𣆆, 柏, 𭯖, 𤇢, 𭷛, 珀, 胉, 𥙃, 𭼈, 𥍡, 𥎷, 砶, 䄸, 袙, 粕, 絈, 𦐚, 舶, 𦫖, 𬠀, 貃, 䞟, 𫏴, 𨠘, 鉑(铂), 𧆽, 𩊀, 𩗀(𩙦), 𩛇, 𬈻, 鮊(鲌), 𧇤
• 𰁮, 劰, 𫨷, 𨚮, 敀, 𤝡, 㼟, 䎅, 𦫙, 𩑻, 魄, 䳆, 㒵, 𠡈, 𭎊, 㚖, 帛, 𣌣, 𢘣, 𣐩, 泉, 𭽾, 𨋧, 𣹻, 𩲸, 𣰗, 㒶, 苩, 𥬝, 𰎒, 𩶑, 𬲉
• 習 (in current form)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 785, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 22678
• Dae Jaweon: page 1196, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2642, character 1
• Unihan data for U+767D

Chinese

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 白 (消歧義) (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 白 (Classical)
• 白 (搞清楚) (Cantonese)
• 白 (Gan)
• 白 (Hakka)

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 白
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Unclear; probably a pictogram (象形) .

Guo (1954) suggests that it represents a thumb and is original form of 拇 (*mɯʔ) or, more probably, 擘 (*preːɡ).

Alternatively, Unger (apud Schuessler, 2007) suggests that it represents an acorn, noting its use in 樂／乐 (“oak”) (= 櫟／栎) and 皂 (zào, “acorn”). In this interpretation, the meaning of “white” is derived from the color of an acorn's inside.

Etymology

STEDT derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bawk (“white”), whence also Proto-Bodo-Garo *bok (“white”), Limbu ᤑ (phô, “white”); also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɓɔɔk (“white, grey”).

However, Schuessler (2007) finds it difficult to reconcile these forms with Middle Chinese due to the lack of medial r. Instead, he proposes a derivation from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bar (“white”) with -k extension, thus cognate with 皤 (OC *baːl, “white”) (Wang, 1982), Mizo vâr (“(to be) white”), Proto-Karen *ʔ(b)wa (“white”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

白

1. white

   白色  ―  báisè  ―  white color

   白茶  ―  báichá  ―  white tea

2. clear; easy to understand

   明白  ―  míngbai'  ―  clear, obvious

   淺白／浅白  ―  qiǎnbái  ―  simple

3. clear; pure; plain; blank

   白紙／白纸  ―  báizhǐ  ―  a blank sheet of paper

   白卷  ―  báijuǎn  ―  blank exam paper

   白水  ―  báishuǐ  ―  plain water

   白粥  ―  báizhōu  ―  plain congee

4. bright; well-lit

   • 凡殤與無後者，祭於宗子之家，當室之白，尊於東房，是謂陽厭。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     凡殇与无后者，祭于宗子之家，当室之白，尊于东房，是谓阳厌。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Fánshāng yǔ wúhòu zhě, jì yú zōngzǐ zhī jiā, dāng shì zhī bái, zūn yú dōng fáng, shì wèi yángyàn.

     In regard to all others who have died prematurely and have left no offspring, the sacrifice is offered to them in the house of the oldest son, where the apartment is the most light, with the vases in the chamber on the east. This is what is called the bright satisfying offering.

   • 相與枕藉乎舟中，不知東方之既白。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     相与枕借乎舟中，不知东方之既白。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1082, 蘇軾 (Su Shi), 《前赤壁賦》

     Xiàngyǔ zhěnjiè hū zhōu zhōng, bù zhī dōngfāng zhī jì bái.

     The cups and plates leaned against one another in the boat, and we did not know the East has already turned bright white.

5. eminent; prominent

   • 是故窮則不隱，通則大明，身死而名彌白。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     是故穷则不隐，通则大明，身死而名弥白。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Shìgù qióng zé bù yǐn, tōng zé dà míng, shēn sǐ ér míng mí bái.

     Therefore, the superior man, when in poverty or distress, is not obscured, and when his life is smooth, he becomes more famous. After his death, his reputation becomes even more prominent.

6. vernacular

   白話／白话  ―  báihuà  ―  spoken language

7. dialect

   蘇白／苏白  ―  sūbái  ―  Suzhou dialect

   京白  ―  jīngbái  ―  Beijing dialect

8. Short for 白讀／白读 (báidú, “colloquial reading”).
9. reactionary; anticommunist

   白軍／白军  ―  báijūn  ―  The White army

   白區／白区  ―  báiqū  ―  The White area

   白色恐怖  ―  báisèkǒngbù  ―  the White terror

10. in vain; for nothing

    我們沒有白忙。／我们没有白忙。  ―  Wǒmen méiyǒu bái máng.  ―  Our efforts were not in vain.

    她白等了。  ―  Tā bái děng le.  ―  She waited in vain.

    他們的血沒有白流。 [MSC, trad.]
    他们的血没有白流。 [MSC, simp.]

    Tāmen de xuè méiyǒu bái liú.

    Their blood was not shed in vain.

    所有的工作都白做了。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

    Suǒyǒu de gōngzuò dōu bái zuò le.

    All the work has been done for nothing.

    白來一趟／白来一趟  ―  bái lái yītàng  ―  to come in vain; to come for nothing

    白給的東西／白给的东西  ―  báigěi de dōngxi  ―  something given for nothing

11. free of charge; gratuitous; gratis

    你可以白拿走這些蘋果。 [MSC, trad.]
    你可以白拿走这些苹果。 [MSC, simp.]

    Nǐ kěyǐ bái názǒu zhè xiē píngguǒ.

    You can have these apples for free.

12. to stare coldly; to stare at someone with the white of the eyes

    她生氣地白了他一眼。 [MSC, trad.]
    她生气地白了他一眼。 [MSC, simp.]

    Tā shēngqì de bái le tā yīyǎn.

    She gave him an angry stare.

13. to explain; to present; to state

    自白  ―  zìbái  ―  explain oneself, confess

    開場白／开场白  ―  kāichǎngbái  ―  preamble

    表白  ―  biǎobái  ―  to explain oneself

    辯白／辩白  ―  biànbái  ―  to explain, to defend oneself

14. to mispronounce or wrongly write a character

    我老是寫白字讀破句。 [MSC, trad.]
    我老是写白字读破句。 [MSC, simp.]

    Wǒ lǎoshì xiě bái zì dúpòjù.

    I always mispronounce words and break my sentences up in the wrong places.

    我把這字念白了。 [MSC, trad.]
    我把这字念白了。 [MSC, simp.]

    Wǒ bǎ zhè zì niàn bái le.

    I've mispronounced the character.

15. spoken lines

    念白  ―  niànbái  ―  spoken parts of a Chinese opera

    道白  ―  dàobái  ―  spoken parts of a Chinese opera

    獨白／独白  ―  dúbái  ―  monologue

    對白／对白  ―  duìbái  ―  dialogue

    • （白）無言獨上西樓，月如鉤…… [MSC, trad.]
      （白）无言独上西楼，月如钩…… [MSC, simp.]

      (bái) Wúyán dú shàng xīlóu, yuè rú gōu......

      (spoken:) Without words, I ascend the western tower by myself; the moon is like a hook
      (as may be displayed in the lyrics to Teresa Teng's “Du shang xilou” (獨上西樓))

16. funeral

    紅白喜事／红白喜事  ―  hóngbáixǐshì  ―  weddings and funerals

    白帖 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-thiap [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  obituary

17. (Hokkien) bland and tasteless

    白䭕／白𬲕 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-chiáⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  bland and flavorless

18. (Hokkien) cooked with just water without adding any seasoning

    白煠 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-sa̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to cook with boiling water

19. (Hokkien) greasy; with a lot of fat or oil

    白肉 [Hokkien]  ―  pe̍h-bah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  fatty meat

20. (Hokkien) jargon; cant

    販仔白／贩仔白 [Hokkien]  ―  hoàn-á-pe̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  merchant jargon

21. (Mainland China Hokkien) frank speech

    跋白 [Hokkien]  ―  poa̍h-pe̍h [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  to publicly disclose and get all the words and things clear in person

22. a surname, commonly romanized as Bai

    白崇禧  ―  Bái Chóngxǐ  ―  Bai Chongxi

23. (～族) Bai, an ethnic group living primarily in Yunnan, China

Synonyms

• (in vain): (Min Nan) 干

Descendants

Others:

• → Proto-Southwestern Tai: *pʰɯəkᴰ¹ᴸ
  • Thai: เผือก (pʉ̀ʉak)
• → Proto-Vietic: *baːk
  • Vietnamese: bạc
• → Vietnamese: bệch (“chalky; sickly white”)

Compounds