红色 hóng sè
“red (color); revolutionary”
noun2021 list level 2Traditional 紅色
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
红色 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 355: 红色 hóngsè — Level 2; official annotation 2 (名). PDF page 88
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 红色
红色 is the noun 'red (colour)'. Use 红色的 + noun or 是红色的; used alone it names the colour (红色很好看). In Chinese culture it is the colour of festivals and good fortune, so it pairs naturally with 过年、结婚、灯笼.
例句Example sentences
- 她穿了一件红色的毛衣。tā chuān le yí jiàn hóng sè de máo yī.She was wearing a red sweater.
- 红色在中国表示喜庆。hóng sè zài zhōng guó biǎo shì xǐ qìng.In China red stands for festivity and good fortune.
- 过年的时候，很多人家挂红色的灯笼。guò nián de shí hou, hěn duō rén jiā guà hóng sè de dēng long.At New Year many families hang red lanterns.
易混词Easily confused
红色vs红
红 is the adjective and can modify nouns directly (红花、红苹果), while 红色 is a noun: after 是 say 是红色的 or 是红的, and use 红色 alone when naming the colour.