<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/1d/sw/70CF.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.zdic.net/z/1d/sw/70CF.htm</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/REZ5y.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/REZ5y.gif" alt="乌"></a></p>
  
  <p>孝鳥也。象形</p>
  
  <p>乌 was a pictograph of a crow (烏鴉) . Since crow is black, the character 乌 was sometimes used as an adjective for 'dark' , 'black', or a verb for 'to blacken'  in classical text.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/F72wM.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/F72wM.gif" alt="黑"></a> </p>
  
  <p>火所熏之色也</p>
  
  <p>黑 was a pictograph that depicted  'object being burned by fire' . It was used to represent the color 'black'.  This meaning remain unchanged today.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In modern Chinese, 黑 is the primary word for 'black'(noun or adjective); 乌 is used for 'black' or 'dark'  only in some set phrases , idioms and names</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>烏煙瘴氣- black smoke and miasma</p>

<p>烏雲 - dark cloud</p>

<p>烏衣 - classical version of 黑衣 (black clothes)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-08T15:50:36.330Z
2017-10-08T16:00:53.937Z
2017-10-08T16:00:53.937Z
Tang Ho
<p>When talking about colours both 乌 and 黑 seem to mean "black", what is the difference between them?<br>
<strong>ex</strong>. there is 乌龙茶 but there is also 黑龙江, both 乌龙 and 黑龙 mean "black dragon".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-08T10:25:19.167Z
Except in some fixed words and phrases, 乌 will not be used.
fefe
<meaning><usage><difference>
黑 and 乌 talking about colours
# 黑 and 乌 talking about colours

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-08)

When talking about colours both 乌 and 黑 seem to mean "black", what is the difference between them?  
**ex**. there is 乌龙茶 but there is also 黑龙江, both 乌龙 and 黑龙 mean "black dragon".

**Tags:** meaning, usage, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Except in some fixed words and phrases, 乌 will not be used.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-10-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

<http://www.zdic.net/z/1d/sw/70CF.htm>

> [![乌](https://i.sstatic.net/REZ5y.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/REZ5y.gif)
>
> 孝鳥也。象形
>
> 乌 was a pictograph of a crow (烏鴉) . Since crow is black, the character 乌 was sometimes used as an adjective for 'dark' , 'black', or a verb for 'to blacken' in classical text.

~

> [![黑](https://i.sstatic.net/F72wM.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/F72wM.gif)
>
> 火所熏之色也
>
> 黑 was a pictograph that depicted 'object being burned by fire' . It was used to represent the color 'black'. This meaning remain unchanged today.

In modern Chinese, 黑 is the primary word for 'black'(noun or adjective); 乌 is used for 'black' or 'dark' only in some set phrases , idioms and names

Examples:

烏煙瘴氣- black smoke and miasma

烏雲 - dark cloud

烏衣 - classical version of 黑衣 (black clothes)


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