The symbolic role colors play is much stronger in Chinese than in Western culture.

Red 红色 (hóngsè) is the color of good luck and strength, as well as the Communist Party.

Yellow 黄色 (huángsè) represents the earth and beauty, but has also recently taking on the meaning of shame and censored materials.

Taking the opposite signifiers as in the West, white 白色 (báisè) is the color death and fulfillment, while black 黑色 (hēisè) is consider the neutral color and represents water.

Like in several other Eastern languages, green 绿色 (lǜsè) and blue 蓝色 (lánsè) are often grouped together and not distinguished clearly. But, like Western culture, both represent health and harmony.

Despite Chinese having two words for orange, 橘色 (chéngsè) and 橙色 (júsè), neither is very important as both are rarely used. What westerners would consider orange is usually described as a shade of yellow or red. Both refer to fruit, oranges and tangerines respectively, and the difference between usage of the two varies without a definable reason, similar to the difference between "soda" and "pop" in the United States.

Purple 紫色 (zǐsè) represents spiritual awakenings, the celestial realm and outer space, especially Polaris, the north star.