白
white; clear; in vain; reactionary; spoken lines in opera
Meanings
18 senses · 89 examplesadjective
white; the color of snow or frost
The most basic and common meaning of the character, used to describe color or objects with this hue.
This piece of paper is white.
She wore a white dress.
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The little white rabbit's fur is as white as snow.
White clouds float in the blue sky.
A white oil painting hangs on the wall.
noun
white/light-colored substance
Used to refer to specific objects with white or off-white color, often used in food or natural terms.
The white part of a green onion near the root is called cōng bái.
Luǎn bái refers to the egg white part of a chicken egg.
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I added the white part of green onions to this dish to enhance umami.
Stir-fried water chestnut stems with shredded pork is a common home-cooked dish.
adjective
bright; light
literaryUsed to describe the brightness of the sky or a well-lit space.
We set off when the east began to brighten at dawn.
It's broad daylight, why don't you turn on the light?
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The early morning sky just turned a pale whitish color.
It's dawn, and the room is already bright with daylight.
The earth is bathed in bright sunlight under the noon sun.
adjective
clear; obvious; understandable
Used to describe the clarity of facts, truths or situations.
After police investigation, the truth finally came to light.
This is truly an unjust case with no known truth.
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You need to speak plainly so everyone can understand.
The rights and wrongs of this matter are already very clear.
He learned a lesson from the unnecessary loss he suffered.
adjective
plain; unseasoned; blank
Used to describe food without additional ingredients or empty/blank items.
I had plain rice and pickled vegetables for lunch today.
He only drank a glass of plain boiled water.
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This exam paper is still a blank one with no answers written.
His family is extremely poor, with no decent furniture at all.
You can draw the most beautiful pictures on a blank piece of paper.
adverb
in vain; for no reason; without result
Used to describe actions that do not achieve the intended purpose or waste time/effort.
It's raining today, so we made a wasted trip for nothing.
What you're doing is just wasting your effort for no gain.
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I waited for him for an hour for no reason.
Don't waste your breath talking, he won't listen to you.
This heavy rain ruined our picnic plan completely for nothing.
adverb
for free; without payment
informalUsed to describe actions that are done without charging money or receiving compensation.
I had a big meal for free today.
He gave me a brand new book without asking for anything in return.
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Can we watch the opera for free?
This shop is giving away drinks for free today.
I worked for you for free, and you're still not satisfied?
adjective
reactionary; opposing revolutionary forces
formal, historicalA historical political usage, mainly used to refer to reactionary regimes or forces in the early 20th century.
During the war era, the White Army represented reactionary forces.
The White Zone refers to the areas ruled by the Kuomintang at that time.
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Older generations often mention the White bandit army.
The White regime was a tool for oppressing the people.
He used to do underground work in the White Zone.
adjective
related to funerals
formalUsed to describe events or items related to funerals and mourning.
His family had a funeral recently, and everyone went to help out.
Funeral procedures are usually solemn and respectful.
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They sent a wreath to attend the funeral.
People usually wear plain-colored clothes at funerals.
He asked for leave to go home and handle the funeral arrangements.
verb
to glance with white of eyes; to show disdain
informalUsed to describe the action of rolling one's eyes to express contempt or dissatisfaction.
He rolled his eyes at my proposal to show his disdain.
She rolled her eyes at him and turned away to leave.
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The boss rolled his eyes at the employee who was late.
Hearing those words, he couldn't help rolling his eyes at me.
Xiaoming rolled his eyes at Xiaohong, thinking she was very verbose.
proper noun
surname Bai
A common Chinese surname.
Mr. Bai is our new teacher.
My name is Bai Xiaohua, nice to meet you.
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The Hundred Family Surnames includes the surname Bai.
Professor Bai teaches literature at the university.
Director Bai is going to conduct an inspection in another city today.
adjective
wrong in pronunciation or character shape
Used to describe mistakes in reading or writing Chinese characters.
You made a character mistake, wrote "tiān" as "fū".
I mispronounced the character "qíng" in "rè qíng" as "qīng".
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The teacher pointed out three character mistakes in my composition.
He often mispronounces characters and needs more practice.
This character copybook can help you reduce the number of character writing mistakes.
verb
to explain; to state; to declare
Used to describe the act of expressing ideas, facts or opinions clearly.
Please explain the course of the event clearly.
He defended himself in court and explained his innocence.
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I want to tell you clearly that this has nothing to do with me.
The teacher asked the students to state their own ideas.
He confessed his love to me.
noun
spoken lines in opera
formal, artisticRefers to non-sung dialogue in traditional Chinese operas and stage plays.
The spoken lines in Peking Opera are very particular about rhythm and meter.
This solo spoken line expresses the character's inner pain.
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The dialogue in this opera is written very vividly.
The spoken lines in Kunqu Opera have a unique singing and reciting charm.
The spoken lines in Yu Opera have strong characteristics of Henan dialect.
noun
local dialect
informalUsed to refer to regional spoken languages or accents.
Sū bái is the short form of Suzhou dialect.
He speaks with standard Shanghai dialect as soon as he opens his mouth.
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There are big differences between northern dialects and southern dialects.
Learning local dialects can help you better understand local culture.
This crosstalk performer can speak multiple local dialects.
noun
vernacular Chinese; spoken language
Refers to modern written Chinese based on vernacular speech, as opposed to classical literary Chinese.
This article mixes classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese, which is awkward to read.
Lu Xun's novels use a language that mixes classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese.
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Modern textbooks are all written in vernacular Chinese.
Vernacular novels were very popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
He writes classical Chinese better than vernacular Chinese essays.
proper noun
Bai ethnic group
formalOne of the 56 official ethnic groups in China, mainly distributed in Yunnan Province.
The Bai ethnic group is one of the minority ethnic groups in China.
The tie-dye craft of the Bai people is very famous.
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There are many traditional Bai villages in Dali.
The Bai people are good at singing and dancing, with rich cultural traditions.
March Street is the most grand traditional festival of the Bai ethnic group.
proper noun
Bai opera
formal, artisticA traditional opera form of the Bai ethnic group, combining local folk music and dance.
Bai opera is a unique traditional drama form of the Bai ethnic group.
We watched a wonderful Bai opera performance last night.
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Bai opera integrates elements of Bai folk songs and dance.
The Dali Bai Opera Troupe often performs abroad.
This Bai opera tells a love story of the Bai people.