色
sè , shǎi · HSK 4
color
🎨 色 = 'sè' for color; also 'shǎi' in spoken use like 掉色 (lose color)
Top 刀 (knife) over bottom 巴 — old gloss linked it to facial expression, then broadened to color and appearance. Two readings: sè in compounds (颜色 yánsè), shǎi in casual speech (变色 biànshǎi).
色 — person 人 (top) + kneeling figure 卩 (bottom)
Originally a pictograph showing one person above another, traditionally interpreted as depicting facial expressions or intimate posture between two people. The earliest meaning was 'facial expression' or 'countenance,' which extended to 'appearance' and eventually 'color' (the look of things). The 'shǎi' reading is a colloquial variant used for everyday color words.