Chinese word

苍白

Pronunciation

Pinyincāng bái

Meaning

  • adjectivepale

Example

他的脸色看起来很苍白。tā de liǎn sè kàn qǐ lái hěn cāng bái

His face looks very pale.

Illustration for 苍白 (pale)

More examples

她的手指因为冷而变得苍白。tā de shóu zhǐ yīn wèi lěng ér biàn de cāng bái

Her fingers turned pale from the cold.

Core concept

The visible loss of normal facial color, leaving someone looking weak, shocked, or unwell.

Common phrases

  • 脸色苍白liǎn sè cāng bái

    pale complexion

  • 嘴唇苍白zuǐ chún cāng bái

    pale lips

  • 显得苍白xiǎn de cāng bái

    look pale

Similar words

发白fā bái: Describes skin or another surface becoming lighter and whiter as its color fades.
无血色wú xuè sè: Describes a face or skin that lacks a healthy color and gives a tired, weak impression.
惨白cǎn bái: Describes a face, hand, or other body part that looks starkly white after its healthy color fades.

Definition in Chinese

（人体）皮肤或面部颜色失去正常红润，呈现偏白或发青的状态，多用于描述病容或受惊后的脸色。rén tǐ pí fū huò miàn bù yán sè shī qù zhèng cháng hóng rùn chéng xiàn piān bái huò fā qīng de zhuàng tài duō yòng yú miáo shù bìng róng huò shòu jīng hòu de liǎn sè

Word origin

The characters 苍 (cāng, "blue-gray") + 白 (bái, "white") combine two cool, light colors to portray skin whose healthy redness has faded.

Usage tips

  • The word can describe a temporary change in appearance, such as after fright, as well as a sickly look, so it does not by itself identify a medical cause.

Other meanings

  • pallidadjective
  • wanadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word