Chinese word

灰

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuī

Meaning

  • nounash

Example

别把灰弄到我的衣服上。bié bǎ huī nòng dào wǒ de yī fú shàng

Don't get ash on my clothes.

Illustration for 灰 (ash)

More examples

爆炸后，城市被一层火山灰覆盖。bào zhà hòu chéng shì bèi yì céng huǒ shān huī fù gài

After the explosion, the city was covered in a layer of volcanic ash.

Core concept

The powdery trace of fire, recognizable both as a substance and by the subdued shade it leaves behind.

Common phrases

  • 煤灰méi huī

    coal ash

  • 火山灰huǒ shān huī

    volcanic ash

  • 灰烬huī jìn

    ashes

Similar words

灰尘huī chén: Extremely fine dust particles that drift through the air and are removed by cleaning.
灰烬huī jìn: The powdery or lumpy remains of material after it has burned completely.
烟灰yān huī: Small, light particles of ash released by smoke or burning tobacco.

Definition in Chinese

燃烧后留下的细粉状物质，也可指从这种物质延伸出的颜色（即灰色）。rán shāo hòu liú xià de xì fěn zhuàng wù zhì yě kě zhǐ cóng zhè zhǒng wù zhì yán shēn chū de yán sè jí huī sè

Word origin

灰 (huī, "ash") refers to what remains after fire consumes material, then extends naturally to the soft color associated with that powder.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often picture ash only in a fireplace, but this word also naturally covers fine residue from sources such as cigarettes or burnt paper.

Other meanings

  • grayadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word