丝绸 絲綢 sī chóu silk cloth / silk syn 未雨绸缪 未雨綢繆 wèi yǔ chóu móu lit. before it rains, bind around with silk (idiom, from Book of Songs 詩經|诗经) / fig. to plan ahead / to prepare for a rainy day syn 丝巾 絲巾 sī jīn headscarf / kerchief / silk neckband 黑子 hēi zǐ black piece (in Chinese chess) / black stone (in Go) / (astronomy) sunspot syn 丝线 絲線 sī xiàn silk thread (for sewing) / silk yarn (for weaving) syn 真丝 真絲 zhēn sī silk / pure silk 绸缎 綢緞 chóu duàn satin / silk fabric syn 昏天黑地 hūn tiān hēi dì lit. dark sky and black earth (idiom) / fig. pitch dark / to black out / disorderly / troubled times syn 抽丝 抽絲 chōu sī to spin silk syn 丝网 絲網 sī wǎng silk screen / screen (printing) 阳关 陽關 yáng guān Yangguan or Southern Pass on the south Silk Road in Gansu, 70 km south of Dunhuang 敦煌 精练 精練 jīng liàn (textiles) to scour / to degum (silk) / variant of 精煉|精炼[jing1 lian4] syn 花红 花紅 huā hóng flowers on red silk (a traditional gift to celebrate weddings etc) / a bonus / crab apple (Malus asiatica) syn 豆豉 dòu chǐ black bean / black bean sauce 织锦 織錦 zhī jǐn brocade / silk fabric with colored pattern 蚕丝 蠶絲 cán sī natural silk (secreted by silkworm) syn 绸子 綢子 chóu zi silk fabric / silk / CL:匹[pi3] syn 丝绸之路 絲綢之路 sī chóu zhī lù the Silk Road 绮罗 綺羅 qǐ luó beautiful silk fabrics / person in beautiful silk dress 丝路 絲路 sī lù the Silk Road / abbr. for 絲綢之路|丝绸之路[Si1 chou2 zhi1 Lu4] 真武 zhēn wǔ Lord of profound heaven, major Daoist deity / aka Black Tortoise 玄武 or Black heavenly emperor 玄天上帝 黑鬼 hēi guǐ black devil (derogatory term for black or African person) 八音 bā yīn ancient classification system for musical instruments, based on the material of which the instrument is made (metal 金, stone 石, clay 土, leather 革, silk 絲|丝, wood 木, gourd 匏, bamboo 竹) / the eight kinds of sound produced by instruments in these categories / music 河西走廊 hé xī zǒu láng Hexi Corridor (or Gansu Corridor), a string of oases running the length of Gansu, forming part of the Northern Silk Road 浣纱 浣紗 huàn shā to wash silk 纺丝 紡絲 fǎng sī to spin synthetic fiber / to spin silk / spinning / filature 吐丝 吐絲 tǔ sī (of spiders, caterpillars, silkworms etc) to extrude silk 化干戈为玉帛 化幹戈為玉帛 huà gān gē wéi yù bó lit. to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk (idiom) / fig. to turn hostility into friendship syn 乌亮 烏亮 wū liàng lustrous and black / jet-black syn 丝织品 絲織品 sī zhī pǐn item made from woven silk or rayon syn 布帛 bù bó cloth and silk / cotton and silk textiles syn 生丝 生絲 shēng sī raw silk syn 吐 tǔ to spit / to send out (silk from a silkworm, bolls from cotton flowers etc) / to say / to pour out (one's grievances) syn 丝 絲 sī silk / thread-like thing / (cuisine) shreds or julienne strips / classifier: a trace (of smoke etc), a tiny bit etc syn 练 練 liàn to practice / to train / to drill / to perfect (one's skill) / exercise / (literary) white silk / to boil and scour raw silk syn 素 sù raw silk / white / plain, unadorned / vegetarian (food) / essence / nature / element / constituent / usually / always / ever syn 伞 傘 sǎn damask silk / variant of 傘|伞[san3] syn 币 幣 bì money / coins / currency / silk syn 缇 緹 tí orange-red silk / orange-red colored 绢 絹 juàn thin, tough silk fabric 绫 綾 líng damask / thin silk 纺 紡 fǎng to spin (cotton or hemp etc) / fine woven silk fabric syn 绸 綢 chóu (light) silk / CL:匹[pi3] syn 绮 綺 qǐ beautiful / open-work silk syn 纂 zuǎn (literary) to compile / to edit / (coll.) (hairstyle) bun / chignon (as 纂兒|纂儿[zuan3r5]) / red silk ribbon / variant of 纘|缵[zuan3] syn 纨 紈 wán white / white silk syn 笔套 筆套 bǐ tào the cap of a pen, pencil or writing brush / the sheath of a pen (made of cloth, silk or thread) syn 绵里藏针 綿裡藏針 mián lǐ cáng zhēn lit. a needle concealed in silk floss (idiom) / fig. ruthless character behind a gentle appearance / a wolf in sheep's clothing / an iron fist in a velvet glove syn 绎 繹 yì continuous / to interpret / to unravel / to draw silk (old) 帛 bó silk syn 绯 緋 fēi dark red / purple silk syn 缥 縹 piǎo (literary) light blue / (literary) light blue silk fabric 骊 驪 lí black horse / jet steed / good horse / legendary black dragon 缯 繒 zēng silk fabrics syn 缟素 縞素 gǎo sù white silk mourning dress syn 缂丝 緙絲 kè sī kesi or k’o-ssu, Chinese silk tapestry woven in a pictorial design 竹帛 zhú bó bamboo and silk writing materials (before paper) syn 纶 綸 lún to classify / to twist silk / silk thread syn 缫 繅 sāo to reel silk from cocoons 绌 絀 chù crimson silk / deficiency / to stitch syn 缙 縉 jìn red silk syn 缦 縵 màn plain thin silk / slow / unadorned 纰 紕 pī error / carelessness / spoiled silk 缟 縞 gǎo plain white silk syn 繻 xū fine silk 缣 縑 jiān thick waterproof silk syn 绡 綃 xiāo raw silk syn 縠 hú fine silk gauze 纩 纊 kuàng fine floss-silk or cotton 絁 shī rough, indelicate silk 紬 chóu silk 将 將 jiàng (bound form) a general / (literary) to command / to lead / (Chinese chess) general (on the black side, equivalent to a king in Western chess) syn 黑人 hēi rén black person / an illegal 黑色 hēi sè black 黑洞 hēi dòng (astronomy) black hole 晕倒 暈倒 yūn dǎo to faint / to swoon / to black out / to become unconscious syn 黑市 hēi shì black market 截然不同 jié rán bù tóng entirely different / different as black and white syn 黑白 hēi bái black and white / right and wrong / monochrome syn 漆黑 qī hēi pitch-black syn 乌云 烏雲 wū yún black cloud syn 黑发 黑髮 hēi fà black hair syn 狗熊 gǒu xióng black bear / coward syn 抹黑 mǒ hēi to discredit / to defame / to smear sb's name / to bring shame upon (oneself or one's family etc) / to blacken (e.g. commando's face for camouflage) / to black out or obliterate (e.g. censored words) syn 黑心 hēi xīn ruthless and lacking in conscience / vicious mind full of hatred and jealousy / black core (flaw in pottery) syn 白纸黑字 白紙黑字 bái zhǐ hēi zì (written) in black and white syn 害群之马 害群之馬 hài qún zhī mǎ lit. a horse that brings trouble to its herd (idiom) / fig. troublemaker / black sheep / rotten apple syn 红茶 紅茶 hóng chá black tea / CL:杯[bei1],壺|壶[hu2] 黝黑 yǒu hēi dark / black / suntanned syn 黑熊 hēi xióng Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) syn 穷凶极恶 窮兇極惡 qióng xiōng jí è fiendish / black-hearted syn 遍体鳞伤 遍體鱗傷 biàn tǐ lín shāng covered all over with cuts and bruises / beaten black and blue / be a mass of bruises syn 黑匣子 hēi xiá zi (airplane) black box syn 五彩 wǔ cǎi five (main) colors (white, black, red, yellow, and blue) / multicolored syn 黑海 hēi hǎi Black Sea 莨菪 làng dàng black henbane 石墨 shí mò black lead / graphite / plumbago 青鱼 青魚 qīng yú black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) / herring / mackerel syn 对比度 對比度 duì bǐ dù contrast (balance of black and white in TV screen setup) / degree of contrast 