Meaning of 角色
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- role; part (in a play or movie etc)
- also pr. [jiao3se4]
How to use 角色
角色 means a role or part, both in a play or film and in real life, like a person's role in a family or team. It often appears with 扮演 (bànyǎn, to play a part). Example: 她在电影里扮演一个医生的角色。(Tā zài diànyǐng lǐ bànyǎn yí ge yīshēng de juésè.) She plays the role of a doctor in the movie.
角 usually means horn or corner, and 色 means color or appearance. Picture an actor putting on a horned mask and colorful makeup to take on a role.
Common mistake: Learners often read 角 here as jiǎo, as in 角度 (jiǎodù), but the standard reading in 角色 is jué. Also, 色 is sè here, not the colloquial shǎi.
角色 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
角 jiǎo · angle · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
色 sè · color · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 角色.
| 颜色 | yánsè | color; countenance |
| 红色 | hóngsè | red (color); revolutionary |
| 黑色 | hēisè | black |
| 蓝色 | lánsè | blue (color) |
| 白色 | báisè | white; fig. reactionary |
| 角度 | jiǎodù | angle; (fig.) point of view |
| 绿色 | lǜsè | green |
| 黄色 | huángsè | yellow; vulgar; lewd; pornographic |
| 景色 | jǐngsè | scenery; landscape; view |
| 特色 | tèsè | a characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality |
| 彩色 | cǎisè | color; multicolored |
| 出色 | chūsè | remarkable; outstanding |
Questions about 角色
What does 角色 mean?
角色 (juésè) means "role; part (in a play or movie etc); also pr. [jiao3se4]" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 角色?
角色 is made of 2 characters: 角 (7 strokes), 色 (6 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 角色 an HSK word?
Yes. 角色 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is jiǎosè also correct for 角色?
The dictionary notes jiǎosè as an alternate pronunciation, and you will hear it in everyday speech. The standard form taught in textbooks and tests is juésè.
Can 角色 be used outside of acting?
Yes. It is common for social or functional roles, as in 起到重要的角色 or 在团队中的角色 (zài tuánduì zhōng de juésè, one's role in the team). It is also used for characters in video games and novels.