Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 红绿灯
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
black tea; CL:杯[bei1],壺|壶[hu2]
红色hóngsèred (color); revolutionary
绿茶lǜchágreen tea; (slang) (of a girl) seemingly innocent and charming but actually calculating and manipulative; a girl who has these qualities
绿色lǜsègreen
灯dēnglamp; light; lantern; CL:盞|盏[zhan3]
红包hóngbāomoney wrapped in red as a gift; bonus payment; kickback; bribe