colour
colour — 動詞
1. when the shade or appearance of something turns into a different colour, or when
上色；染色
使某物變成或呈現某種顏色
when the shade or appearance of something turns into a different colour, or when you cause that change by adding something like paint or dye
The leaves on the maple tree began to colour gold in early October.
十月上旬，楓樹的葉子開始變成金色。
colour + gold/red/blue — verb followed by colour name
Sumin coloured the paper heart bright red for her mother's birthday card.
Sumin 為母親的生日卡片把紙心塗成亮紅色。
colour + object + colour name
The sunset coloured the whole sky in shades of pink and orange.
夕陽把整片天空染成粉紅與橘色交織的色彩。
Eliska coloured her Easter eggs by dipping them in pots of blue and green dye.
Eliska 把復活節蛋放進藍色和綠色的染料盆裡染色。
- fade
to lose colour over time
文法句型
colour + [colour name]
colour + object + [colour name]
用法筆記
Unlike 'paint', which usually implies a deliberate coating, 'colour' can describe both natural processes (leaves colouring) and intentional actions (colouring a picture).
常見錯誤
2. to fill a picture or outline with different shades using crayons, felt-tip pens,
塗色；著色
用彩色筆等工具為圖案上色
to fill a picture or outline with different shades using crayons, felt-tip pens, paints, or similar art materials
The kindergarten children spent the afternoon colouring pictures of farm animals.
幼兒園的孩子們花了一整個下午幫農場動物的圖畫著色。
colour + picture/drawing — typical object
Mayumi carefully coloured the flowers in her notebook with purple and yellow pencils.
Mayumi 用紫色和黃色的鉛筆仔細地在筆記本上幫花朵塗色。
colour + with + [tool]
Darius asked if he could colour the sky purple instead of blue.
Darius 問他能不能把天空塗成紫色而不是藍色。
Asher and his sister sat at the kitchen table colouring a world map.
Asher 和他妹妹坐在廚房桌前幫一張世界地圖著色。
文法句型
colour + [picture/drawing]
colour + object + with + [tool]
用法筆記
This sense is the one used for the activity 'colouring in' — a common childhood pastime. The object is nearly always a picture, outline, or area within a drawing.
常見錯誤
3. when a person's face becomes red, usually because they feel embarrassed, shy, or
臉紅
因尷尬或害羞而臉部發紅
when a person's face becomes red, usually because they feel embarrassed, shy, or ashamed
Ayesha coloured when the teacher praised her project in front of the whole class.
老師在全班面前稱讚 Ayesha 的專題時，她臉紅了。
colour when [something embarrassing happens]
Gabriel coloured with embarrassment after accidentally tripping on the stage.
Gabriel 在舞台上不小心絆倒，尷尬得臉都紅了。
colour with + emotion (embarrassment/ shame)
Yan coloured slightly at the unexpected compliment from his manager.
Yan 聽到主管出乎意料的讚美，微微臉紅。
Adisa coloured whenever someone mentioned his award in the staff meeting.
每次有人在會議中提起 Adisa 的獎項，他就臉紅。
- pale
to become pale, especially from fear or shock — opposite of turning red from embarrassment
文法句型
colour + with + [emotion]
用法筆記
Used mainly in formal or literary contexts. In everyday speech, 'blush' or 'go red' are more common.
常見錯誤
4. to cause a person's opinion, attitude, or judgement to become less positive or f
影響；扭曲
負面地影響某人的看法或判斷
to cause a person's opinion, attitude, or judgement to become less positive or fair, usually because of a past experience or personal bias
Yusuf's previous experience with dishonest mechanics coloured his view of every auto repair shop.
他過去被不誠實的技師欺騙過，因此對每一間汽車修理廠都有偏見。
colour + one's view/opinion of something
The newspaper article was heavily coloured by the writer's own political opinions.
那篇報紙文章深受作者個人政治立場的影響而有所偏頗。
passive: be coloured by [something]
Romi tried not to let past disappointment colour her feelings about the new job.
Romi 盡量不讓過去的失望影響她對新工作的看法。
The unfair review coloured the public's opinion of the restaurant for months after it opened.
那篇不公平的評論在餐廳開幕後的幾個月裡，持續影響大眾對它的看法。
- clarify
to make an opinion clearer or fairer, opposite of introducing bias
文法句型
be coloured by + [experience/event]
colour + [opinion/view]
用法筆記
Common in passive constructions ('coloured by'). Has a negative connotation — the influence usually distorts or biases rather than improves the judgement.
常見錯誤
colour — 名詞
1. one of the visual qualities that objects have, such as red, blue, green, or yell
顏色
紅藍綠黃等視覺特性
one of the visual qualities that objects have, such as red, blue, green, or yellow, created by the way light reflects off a surface.
"What colour is your new car?" "It is dark blue."
「你的新車是什麼顏色？」「是深藍色的。」
question pattern: what colour is…?
Ryo chose a bright green colour for the front door to make it stand out.
Ryo 選了亮綠色來漆大門，讓它看起來很醒目。
Putri thinks the sky at sunset has the most beautiful colour she has ever seen.
Putri 覺得夕陽時的天空是她見過最美的顏色。
Tanvi painted her bedroom walls a pale yellow because that colour makes her feel calm.
Tanvi 把臥室牆壁漆成淺黃色，因為那種顏色讓她感到平靜。
文法句型
what colour is/are…?
colour + noun (colour television, colour photo)
用法筆記
This is the most basic and common sense. When asking about someone's favourite hue, use 'What is your favourite colour?' For specific shades, combine with light/dark/bright: 'light green', 'dark red'.
常見錯誤
2. the interesting or attractive effect created by using many bright colours togeth
色彩
鮮豔色彩帶來的視覺效果
the interesting or attractive effect created by using many bright colours together in one place, scene, or object.
The garden was full of colour in spring, with tulips and daffodils blooming everywhere.
春天時花園裡色彩繽紛，到處盛開著鬱金香和水仙花。
idiom: full of colour
Élise added colour to the plain white room by hanging woven tapestries on the walls.
Élise 在空白的牆上掛了編織掛毯，為原本樸素的房間增添了色彩。
verb pattern: add colour to + noun
The market stalls were a riot of colour, with spices and fabrics stacked high.
市集攤位上色彩斑斕，堆滿了香料和布料。
The autumn leaves gave a wonderful burst of colour to the whole street.
秋天的落葉為整條街增添了燦爛的色彩。
- vibrancy
emphasises energy and brightness; slightly more formal
- liveliness
broader; can refer to non-visual energy too
- dullness
the lack of bright or interesting visual qualities
文法句型
be full of colour
add colour to something
用法筆記
Uncountable only. You cannot say 'a colour' or 'colours' in this sense. The positive connotation is always present — this sense describes an appealing, lively visual experience.
3. any material — for example paint, dye, or pigment — that people use to make a su
顏料；染料
用來改變物體顏色的物質
any material — for example paint, dye, or pigment — that people use to make a surface, piece of fabric, or object a different visual shade.
Felipe bought two new colours for his painting — a deep purple and a warm gold.
Felipe 買了兩種新的顏料來畫畫——一種是深紫色，一種是暖金色。
countable: 'a colour' = a type of paint
The artist mixed her own colours from natural pigments she collected near the river.
那位藝術家用自己從河邊收集的天然顏料調製顏色。
This brand of hair colour lasts longer than the one I used before.
這個牌子的染髮劑比我之前用的持久。
Jude tested several paint colours on the wall before choosing a soft grey.
Jude 在牆上試了好幾種油漆顏色，最後選了淺灰色。
文法句型
colour + noun (hair colour, eye colour)
apply a colour to something
用法筆記
Countable as a product type ('a colour', 'two colours'). The substance sense overlaps with 'paint' for walls, 'dye' for fabric/hair, and 'pigment' for art. In shops, colours are identified by names or numbers.
4. a reddish tone that appears on someone's skin, especially the cheeks, and may in
血色
臉上的粉紅或紅色色調
a reddish tone that appears on someone's skin, especially the cheeks, and may indicate strong emotion, good physical condition, or sudden shyness.
When Brooke realised everyone was looking at her, the colour rose to her cheeks.
Brooke 發現大家都在看她時，臉頰頓時泛紅。
pattern: the colour (rose/came) to one's cheeks
Ezra lost all his colour when he heard the shocking news about the accident.
Ezra 聽到那起事故的驚人消息時，臉色頓時發白。
idiom: lose colour (become pale)
There was good colour in Aylin's face after a week in the mountains.
Aylin 在山裡待了一個星期後，臉上氣色紅潤。
Ziad's face changed colour when his manager praised him in front of the whole team.
Ziad 在經理當著全團隊面前表揚他時，臉色都變了。
- pallor
unnatural paleness, often from illness or fear
文法句型
colour in/to someone's face/cheeks
lose (one's) colour
change colour
用法筆記
Uncountable. The phrase 'to change colour' means the face becomes red or pale due to strong emotion. In British English, 'colour' in this sense is more common than 'color' even in informal contexts.
常見錯誤
5. a healthy-looking complexion in a person's face, especially one that returns aft
氣色
病後恢復的健康面色
a healthy-looking complexion in a person's face, especially one that returns after a period of illness or tiredness.
After a few days of rest, the colour slowly came back to Devika's face.
休息了幾天後，Devika 的臉色慢慢恢復了紅潤。
pattern: colour comes back to one's face
Morning walks in the park brought the colour back to Hari's cheeks after his long illness.
每天早上去公園散步，讓 Hari 大病後臉色恢復了紅潤。
pattern: bring colour back to one's cheeks
The doctor said the child needed more iron to get some colour back into her skin.
醫生說那個小孩需要多補充鐵質，臉色才會恢復紅潤。
Yuna's grandmother smiled when she saw colour returning to her granddaughter's cheeks.
Yuna 的奶奶看到孫女臉頰恢復血色，露出了笑容。
- paleness
lack of healthy colour in the face
文法句型
colour returns/comes back to someone's face
bring the colour back to someone's cheeks
用法筆記
Distinguish from FACE FLUSH (sense 4): this sense specifically describes the return of a healthy complexion after illness or exhaustion, not an emotional reaction. Almost always used with verbs of return: 'come back', 'return', 'bring back'.
6. interesting, exciting, or vivid qualities that make something stand out, feel li
趣味
引人入勝的特質或細節
interesting, exciting, or vivid qualities that make something stand out, feel lively, or become worth paying attention to.
The guide's stories about local festivals added colour to our tour of the small village.
導遊講述當地節慶的故事，為我們的小鎮之旅增添了趣味。
collocation: add colour to something
Sivan's unusual instruments brought colour to what could have been a dull performance.
Sivan 選了不常見的樂器，為原本可能很沉悶的表演增添了趣味。
The novelist travelled through several countries collecting local colour for her next book.
那位小說家走訪了幾個國家，為下一本書收集地方色彩。
João's anecdotes about his childhood gave colour to an otherwise serious dinner conversation.
João 分享的童年趣事，為原本嚴肅的晚餐對話增添了趣味。
- vividness
the quality of making a strong, clear impression
- liveliness
energy and activity; less visual than 'colour'
- richness
suggests depth and variety of interesting detail
- dullness
lack of interesting or exciting qualities
文法句型
add/give colour to something
colour and excitement
local colour
用法筆記
Uncountable — cannot be pluralised. Common in creative and evaluative contexts (reviews, travel writing, literary criticism). The fixed phrase 'local colour' refers to authentic, distinctive details of a place that bring a description to life.
7. the natural shade of someone's skin, used as a broad way of describing their eth
膚色
皮膚的自然色澤，用以區分種族
the natural shade of someone's skin, used as a broad way of describing their ethnic background or ancestry
The school does not discriminate against any student on the basis of colour or religion.
該校不會因學生的膚色或宗教信仰而歧視任何人。
collocation: on the basis of colour
Liang's application form asked him to state his colour and ethnic origin.
梁先生在申請表上被要求填寫他的膚色和族裔背景。
In many countries, discrimination based on colour is against the law.
在許多國家，基於膚色的歧視是違法的。
Valentina felt proud of her colour and the cultural traditions that came with it.
瓦倫蒂娜以自己的膚色及其承載的文化傳統為榮。
The charity offers legal help to anyone facing unfair treatment because of their colour.
這間慈善機構為任何因膚色遭受不公平待遇的人提供法律協助。
- skin tone
a more neutral, everyday term that avoids the political weight of 'colour' in racial contexts
- complexion
focuses on the surface appearance and condition of facial skin rather than ethnic grouping
- ethnicity
broader term covering cultural background, nationality, and language, not just skin colour
常見錯誤
8. a way of referring to people who see themselves as being outside the white ethni
有色人種
非白人族群的統稱
a way of referring to people who see themselves as being outside the white ethnic group, used especially in discussions about race and social identity
The festival celebrated the music and food of people of colour from around the world.
這場節慶活動匯集了來自世界各地有色人種的音樂和美食。
fixed phrase: people of colour
Brooke joined a university society for students of colour on campus.
布魯克加入了一個校園內的有色人種學生社團。
The charity works to improve job opportunities for women of colour in the film industry.
這間慈善機構致力於為電影產業中的有色人種女性創造更多就業機會。
Aarav explained that the term 'person of colour' includes many different ethnic backgrounds.
阿爾夫解釋道，「有色人種」這個詞涵蓋了許多不同的族裔背景。
用法筆記
The plural form 'people of colour' (or the singular 'person of colour') is the standard modern phrasing. Using 'colour' alone to mean 'non-white people' — for example, 'people of colour' is acceptable while 'coloured people' is now considered outdated and offensive in most varieties of English.
常見錯誤
9. a special badge, strip of cloth, or tie given to students who are chosen to play
校隊榮譽
代表學校參賽的榮譽標誌
a special badge, strip of cloth, or tie given to students who are chosen to play for their school's or university's official sports team
Talia was awarded her cricket colours after the final match of the season.
塔莉亞在球季最後一場比賽結束後獲頒了她的板球校隊榮譽。
collocation: awarded + colours
Stefan sewed his hockey colours onto his blazer with great pride.
斯特凡滿懷驕傲地將他的曲棍球校隊榮譽徽章縫在西裝外套上。
You must play five matches for the first team to earn your colours at this college.
要在這間學院獲得校隊榮譽，你必須至少代表一隊出賽五場比賽。
Mert's father keeps his old school colours in a frame on his desk at home.
梅爾特的父親仍把他當年的校隊榮譽徽章裱在桌上的相框裡。
- varsity letter
the North American equivalent, typically a cloth letter sewn onto a jacket
- honours tie
a specific type of colours item, common at British universities
用法筆記
Commonly used with verbs like 'earn', 'win', 'get', or 'be awarded'. This sense is predominantly British and Commonwealth; in North America the equivalent is often called a 'varsity letter'.
常見錯誤
10. the official flag flown by a country, a naval vessel, or a military regiment as
旗幟
國家或軍隊的正式旗幟
the official flag flown by a country, a naval vessel, or a military regiment as its identifying emblem
The ship lowered its colours as a sign of respect when entering the foreign port.
那艘船降下旗幟，以表示對進入外國港口的敬意。
collocation: lower the colours
Each regiment in the army carries its own colours into ceremonial parades.
陸軍的每個兵團在閱兵典禮中都扛著自己的旗幟。
The national colours were raised over the embassy on independence day.
國旗在獨立紀念日當天於大使館上空升起。
Beatrix watched the colours flap in the wind above the old stone fortress.
碧翠絲望著那面旗幟在古老石堡上空隨風飄揚。
用法筆記
Always plural when referring to a flag in this ceremonial or military sense. The singular 'colour' would not be used for a flag — 'colours' is the standard form.
常見錯誤
11. the specific shades and patterns that a sports team, school, or other organisati
代表色
代表某團隊或組織的特定顏色
the specific shades and patterns that a sports team, school, or other organisation chooses for its clothing and flags, allowing members and fans to identify themselves with that group
The fans all wore the team's colours — blue and white stripes — to the final match.
所有球迷都穿著球隊的代表色——藍白條紋——來看冠軍賽。
collocation: wear the colours
Chidi bought a scarf in his university's colours to wear during the rugby tournament.
奇迪買了一條代表他大學顏色的圍巾，準備在欖球錦標賽時戴。
The club's colours are green and gold, and supporters wear them at every home game.
這支俱樂部的代表色是綠色和金色，球迷每場主場比賽都會穿上。
Linh painted her face in her country's colours before the Olympic ceremony began.
林在奧運開幕典禮開始前，把臉塗上了自己國家的代表色。
Nicholas refused to wear the opposing team's colours even as a joke.
尼古拉斯連開玩笑都不肯穿上對手球隊的代表色。
用法筆記
Always plural. 'True colours' in the idiom 'show one's true colours' (reveal one's real character) is historically related but is a distinct figurative sense with its own fixed phrasing.
常見錯誤
colour — 形容詞
1. used before certain nouns to describe devices, processes, or images that produce
彩色
以彩色而非黑白顯示或製作的
used before certain nouns to describe devices, processes, or images that produce or show pictures using many colours instead of only black, white, and shades of grey
Linh bought a colour television for her new flat in Manchester.
Linh 為她在曼徹斯特的新公寓買了一台彩色電視機。
attributive: colour + television
Tanvi's grandfather has worked in colour photography since the 1970s.
Tanvi 的祖父從一九七〇年代起就一直從事彩色攝影工作。
Rafael showed us a book of colour prints from the 1960s.
Rafael 給我們看了一本一九六〇年代的彩色印刷畫冊。
Adaeze chose colour printing for her wedding invitations to make the photos stand out.
Adaeze 為了讓照片更醒目，選擇用彩色印刷來製作她的婚禮邀請卡。
Colour displays on smartphones have become much more vivid over the past decade.
智慧型手機的彩色螢幕在過去十年間變得鮮豔許多。
- black-and-white
the opposite — showing only black, white, and shades of grey
文法句型
colour + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
This adjective is used only attributively — it must appear directly before a noun. It cannot be used predicatively: ❌ 'The television is colour.'