coloured
/ˈkʌləd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌlərd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkʌl.əd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌl.ɚd/ (ame, ipa) · /-kʌl.əd/ (bre, ipa) · /-ɚd/ (ame, ipa)
coloured — 形容詞
- colouredpositive
- more colouredcomparative
- most colouredsuperlative
1. describes something that has one or more specific colours, as opposed to being w
彩色的
帶有顏色，非黑白灰的
describes something that has one or more specific colours, as opposed to being white, black, or grey
Leila wore a brightly coloured scarf around her neck on the first day of spring.
春天第一天，Leila 戴著一條色彩鮮豔的圍巾出門。
collocation: brightly coloured
The art teacher handed out a new set of coloured pencils to every student in the class.
美術老師發給班上每位學生一套新的彩色鉛筆。
collocation: coloured pencils
Aiko buys white sheets and towels because coloured ones tend to fade after washing.
Aiko 買白色床單和毛巾，因為有顏色的洗久了容易褪色。
The old church in our village has beautiful coloured glass windows showing scenes from the Bible.
我們村裡那座老教堂有美麗的彩色玻璃窗，描繪聖經故事。
Nikolai wore a plain dark suit to the ceremony rather than something brightly coloured.
Nikolai 在典禮上穿了一套樸素的深色西裝，而非顏色鮮豔的服飾。
- white
achromatic; the opposite of coloured in laundry contexts
- colourless
completely without colour, like water or air
用法筆記
American English spells this word 'colored' (without the 'u'). This is the standard spelling in the US, while 'coloured' is used in British and Commonwealth English.
常見錯誤
2. an old and now offensive word for someone whose skin is not white. You should no
非白人貶稱
舊用法，指非白人，現屬冒犯語
an old and now offensive word for someone whose skin is not white. You should not use this word today.
In historical documents from the 1950s, the term 'coloured' was frequently used to describe non-white people.
在 1950 年代的歷史文件中，'coloured' 一詞常被用來稱呼非白人。
historical usage only — do not use today
Using 'coloured' to describe someone's skin colour is now regarded as highly offensive and unacceptable.
如今用 'coloured' 來描述一個人的膚色，被視為極度冒犯且不可接受。
Many old books still contain the word 'coloured' in ways that modern readers find deeply shocking.
許多舊書中仍出現 'coloured' 這個詞，現代讀者看到後會感到非常震驚。
Teachers today explain that 'coloured' was once a common label but should never be used to describe a person now.
現在的老師會解釋說，'coloured' 曾經是常見的稱呼，但如今絕不能用來描述任何人。
用法筆記
This is the MOST offensive sense of 'coloured'. Never use it to describe a person or group. The acceptable modern terms depend on context: 'Black', 'person of colour', or specific ethnic/national labels are preferred. This sense is only encountered in historical texts or discussions about outdated terminology.
常見錯誤
3. under the former apartheid system in South Africa, this term referred to someone
南非混血
南非舊用法，指父母來自不同種族
under the former apartheid system in South Africa, this term referred to someone whose parents came from different racial backgrounds. It is now often seen as offensive.
Under South Africa's apartheid system, people were officially labelled as 'coloured' if they had mixed-race parents.
在種族隔離制度下，南非政府將父母來自不同種族的人正式歸類為 'coloured'。
apartheid-era classification — now considered offensive by many
Some older South Africans still describe themselves as 'coloured', but younger generations largely reject the term.
有些年長的南非人仍用 'coloured' 來描述自己，但年輕一代大多拒絕這個詞。
Historical records from Cape Town show that the 'coloured' category under apartheid included families with very diverse backgrounds.
開普敦的歷史記錄顯示，種族隔離時期的 'coloured' 類別涵蓋背景非常多元的家庭。
A museum exhibit in Johannesburg explains how the apartheid government used 'coloured' as an official racial classification.
約翰尼斯堡的一個博物館展覽說明了種族隔離政府如何將 'coloured' 用為官方種族分類。
用法筆記
In South Africa, the term has a specific historical meaning under apartheid law but is distinct from the broader offensive sense (sense 2). Some individuals and communities in South Africa still use it for self-identification, but outsiders should avoid it as it is widely considered offensive.
常見錯誤
coloured — 名詞
- colouredsingular
- colouredsplural
1. a deeply insulting term for a non-white person, which some governments once used
種族舊貶稱
對非白人的舊式貶義稱呼
a deeply insulting term for a non-white person, which some governments once used in their official documents and classifications
The old law books referred to non-white citizens as 'coloureds', a word that is now deeply offensive.
舊法律書中將非白人公民稱為 'coloureds'，這個詞如今極具冒犯性。
historical official term — extremely offensive today
A 1960s sign reading 'No coloureds allowed' now stands in a museum as a reminder of past racial discrimination.
一塊寫著「有色人種不得進入」的 1960 年代告示牌，如今陳列在博物館中，提醒人們過去的種族歧視。
When reading novels from the 1940s, you may come across the noun 'coloureds' used in ways that shock modern readers.
閱讀 1940 年代的小說時，你可能會看到 'coloureds' 這個名詞以令現代讀者震驚的方式被使用。
The term 'coloureds' appeared on official forms and housing documents throughout the segregation era in several countries.
在種族隔離時代，'coloureds' 一詞出現在好幾個國家的官方表格和住宅文件中。
用法筆記
This noun form is even more offensive than the adjective form (sense 2). It reduces a person to a category label. Modern readers encounter it only in historical texts, museum exhibits, or discussions about the history of racism.
常見錯誤
2. during South Africa's apartheid era, a label for someone of mixed racial backgro
南非混血者
南非舊制對混血人士的稱呼
during South Africa's apartheid era, a label for someone of mixed racial background. Many people now regard it as offensive.
Under apartheid, a person classified as a 'coloured' had different legal rights from white or black South Africans.
在種族隔離制度下，被歸類為 'coloured' 的人所享有的法律權利與白人及黑人不同。
apartheid-era legal classification
The Population Registration Act of 1950 officially divided South Africans into whites, blacks, Indians, and coloureds.
1950 年的《人口登記法》將南非人正式劃分為白人、黑人、印度人及 coloureds。
The label 'Cape Coloured' was used under apartheid for a specific mixed-heritage community in the Western Cape region.
在種族隔離制度下，'Cape Coloured' 這個標籤用來指西開普省特定的混血族群。
In old South African census data, the 'coloured' category included people of Khoisan, Malay, and European ancestry.
在舊南非的人口普查資料中，'coloured' 類別包含了科伊桑人、馬來人和歐洲人的後裔。
用法筆記
This noun sense is tied specifically to South African history. Unlike the adjective sense (adj/2) which has general offensive meaning, this noun has a specific legal-bureaucratic history under apartheid. Nevertheless, using it directly to label a person is still offensive to many.
3. a category of garments that are not white — used most often when separating laun
非白衣物
有顏色的衣物（非白色）
a category of garments that are not white — used most often when separating laundry for washing
Be sure to separate the whites from the coloureds before putting the laundry into the washing machine.
記得把白色衣物和有色衣物分開，再放進洗衣機。
collocation: separate whites from coloureds
Mia sorted the laundry into three piles: whites, coloureds, and delicate fabrics that needed hand washing.
Mia 把衣服分成三堆：白色衣物、有色衣物和需要手洗的細緻布料。
My grandmother always washed coloureds in cold water to stop the different colours from running into each other.
我祖母總是用冷水洗有色衣物，以免顏色互相染開。
Check the label before you wash coloureds — some items need a gentle cycle to protect the fabric.
洗有色衣物前要先看標籤——有些布料需要用柔洗模式來保護材質。
- non-white clothing
more explicit but less common in everyday laundry talk
- whites
the opposite category in laundry sorting
用法筆記
This is the only neutral noun sense of 'coloureds'. It always refers to items of clothing, never to people. It is used almost exclusively in the plural form and in the context of laundry sorting.
常見錯誤
coloured — 字尾
1. used after a word for a colour to make an adjective describing something that ha
色的
接在顏色詞後，表示具有該顏色
used after a word for a colour to make an adjective describing something that has that particular colour
Yusuf wore a cream-coloured linen shirt to the outdoor wedding reception.
Yusuf 在戶外婚宴上穿了一件奶油色的亞麻襯衫。
combining form: cream-coloured
The living room walls were painted a warm honey-coloured shade that brightened the whole space.
客廳牆壁刷上一層溫暖的蜜色，讓整個空間明亮起來。
A small rose-coloured lamp stood on the bedside table and gave the room a soft glow.
床頭櫃上有一盞小小的玫瑰色檯燈，為房間帶來柔和的光線。
The kitten had a soft caramel-coloured coat with four white paws and bright green eyes.
那隻小貓有一身柔軟的焦糖色毛皮、四隻白爪和一雙明亮的綠眼睛。
文法句型
[colour] + coloured
用法筆記
This combining form attaches to a wide range of colour words — both basic colours (cream-coloured, rose-coloured) and more creative or descriptive ones (caramel-coloured, honey-coloured, brick-coloured). In American English, the spelling changes to '-colored' (e.g., 'cream-colored').