Chinese Conversation · Level 20
90 words
Chinese word
泛黄
Pronunciation
Pinyinfàn huáng
Meaning
- verbturn yellow
Example
放在盒子里的书页会泛黄。fàng zài hé zi lǐ de shū yè huì fàn huáng
The pages of a book kept in a box will turn yellow.
More examples
那张老照片的边缘开始泛黄。nà zhāng lǎo zhào piān de biān yuán kāi shǐ fàn huáng
The edges of that old photo are starting to turn yellow.
Core concept
A pale surface slowly develops a yellow cast across its visible area.
Common phrases
书页泛黄shū yè fàn huáng
book pages turn yellow
纸张泛黄zhǐ zhāng fàn huáng
paper turns yellow
照片边缘泛黄zhào piān biān yuán fàn huáng
photo edges turn yellow
Similar words
发黄fā huáng: Turn slightly yellow as time passes, often because of age or light.
变黄biàn huáng: Become yellow instead of keeping the original color.
褪色tuì shǎi: Become less colorful, bright, or vivid.
Definition in Chinese
因时间、阳光、潮湿或氧化等原因，使原本较白或淡色的物体表面逐渐呈现黄色或带黄色的色调。yīn shí jiān yáng guāng cháo shī huò yǎng huà děng yuán yīn shǐ yuán běn jiào bái huò dàn sè de wù tǐ biǎo miàn zhú jiàn chéng xiàn huáng sè huò dài huáng sè de sè diào
Word origin
泛黄 (fànhuáng, "turn yellow") combines 泛 (fàn, "spread over") + 黄 (huáng, "yellow"), presenting yellow as a color that gradually appears across a pale surface.
Usage tips
- For old pages, photos, and white clothes, this verb describes a change in the material's overall color, while a small dirty spot needs a different expression.
Other meanings
- yellow with ageverb
- take on a yellow tingeverb
Opposites
- 变白biàn báiturn whiteverb