Learn a Chinese Character - 蓝

1. Character Basics

Radical: 艹 (grass radical)

Stroke Count: 13

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lán (Second tone)

3. Meaning

Blue; indigo; cyan

4. Common Words

• 蓝色 (lánsè) - blue (color)
• 蓝天 (lántiān) - blue sky
• 蓝色的 (lánsè de) - blue
• 蓝图 (lántú) - blueprint; plan
• 蓝牙 (lányá) - Bluetooth (wireless technology)
• 蓝鲸 (lánjīng) - blue whale
• 蓝宝石 (lánbǎoshí) - sapphire
• 蓝色系 (lánsèxì) - blue color family

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "蓝" is primarily used as a noun referring to the color blue, or as an adjective describing something that is blue.

Grammar Patterns:

• 蓝+色: 蓝色 (blue color)
• 蓝+天: 蓝天 (blue sky)
• 蓝+色+的: 蓝色的 (blue)
• 蓝+图: 蓝图 (blueprint; plan)
• 蓝+牙: 蓝牙 (Bluetooth)
• 蓝+鲸: 蓝鲸 (blue whale)
• 蓝+宝+石: 蓝宝石 (sapphire)
• 蓝+色+系: 蓝色系 (blue color family)

6. Cultural Background

The character "蓝" has significant cultural connotations in Chinese society, particularly in relation to color symbolism and traditional arts.

In traditional Chinese culture, blue is associated with immortality and transcendence, often used in depictions of Daoist immortals and celestial beings. It is also linked to wisdom, knowledge, and scholarly pursuits.

The traditional Chinese indigo dyeing technique, known as "蓝染" (lánrǎn), has a long history dating back thousands of years. This technique involves extracting indigo pigment from plants and using it to dye fabrics, resulting in distinctive blue patterns and colors that are still valued today.

In modern Chinese culture, blue continues to be an important color. It is often used to represent the sky and ocean, symbolizing vastness, freedom, and hope. The phrase "蓝天白云" (lántiān báiyún, blue sky and white clouds) is commonly used to describe a clear, beautiful day.

The color blue is also associated with technology and innovation, as seen in terms like "蓝牙" (lányá, Bluetooth) and "蓝色科技" (lánsè kējì, blue technology).

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "蓝" (lán) consists of two parts:

• The radical "艹" (cǎo, grass) on the top, which indicates that the meaning is related to plants (historically, indigo dye was derived from plants)
• The component "监" (jiān, to supervise; monitor) at the bottom, which provides the pronunciation

To remember the character, think of it as "a plant (艹) that can be used to create a color for supervision or monitoring (监)".

Associate the character with the color blue and visualize the sky or the ocean, which helps connect the character's appearance to its meaning.

You can also imagine traditional indigo dye being extracted from plants, which relates to the radical "艹" and the character's historical connection to plant-based dyes.

Break down the character into its components and practice writing it to reinforce your memory of its structure and stroke count.

Remember that the radical "艹" is always at the top, which helps with proper stroke order when writing the character.