Pls help!!! Fierce Stunt Toddler on the right word for "Brown"

P/s: The Stunt Toddler managed to be incredibly courteous and respectful when it was sinking in for him that his Auntie was wrong. He's not "snarky" at all, thank God. But that made his diplomatic bewilderment all the more painful for me... Again, thanks.

Aiya, yes, I definitely have "spoken Chinese"-phobia too. And with mistakes like 领 (instead of 令), and using 维持 when probably 保持 is better (thanks!), I know there's still a long way to go. I think that in language learning, having a "receptive" ability is far from being able to write. If you will just keep putting up with my mistakes, and correcting them, I'll try to pull my weight and try to write. It's like my mind clouds over when I try to write in Chinese...

Henning, I type my desperate question, go away for 30 seconds to see how my curry is doing on the stove, and within that time the cavalry (ie. you) has come with the answers I needed. Thank you so much! Speaking as somebody who uses Photoshop daily, it sounds like 棕色 (zong1se4) may have more "magenta" in it (like 绿 lü4; "green"), whereas 褐色 (he2se3) probably has more cyan hues in it (yup, like 青 qing1; also "green"). It's not easy being an Auntie to a Stunt Toddler, so much pressure! Again, thanks...

Please thank your co-worker as warmly as you can on my behalf!

Hmmm...I thought brown was ka1fe1se4? (coffee color); perhaps it's a Taiwan thing...

Doc, kāfēisè is also encrypted in the cited answer. Accordint to that 咖啡色 (kāfēisè) and 褐色 (hèsè) are both considered to include a "yellowish ingredient": 咖啡色和褐色里面有黄色的成分

Thanks, henning! I thought of you when I was in Beiing for 3 days 3/5-8. We lucked out; we had gorgeous weather and the air was really clear when we climbed the Great Wall.

Please don't put anything yellow in my 咖啡, thanks. :)

Aiyah, rich!

Henning, if you'll allow one further question from this Auntie, do your own children -- who are bilingual -- make a difference between 褐色 (he4se4; sorry for my hanyu pinyin typo above) and 棕色 (zong1se4)? Am asking you this because the Stunt Toddler very definitely considers the two shades of green -- 绿 and 青 to be different colours, although that doesn't seem to spill over into his English. His preschool teachers have done a nice job. I, on the other hand, grew up thinking that "green" = 青. Like Kermit the Frog says, "It's not easy being 青..."

This is what my co-worker dug up for you (domain hair coloring): Source: http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/38537889.html Question: 棕色和咖啡色还有褐色有什么区别? 我想染发,我的皮肤不是很黑,也不是很白,卷发.请问染什么颜色的好看些谢谢 Answer: 棕色里面有红色的成分， 咖啡色和褐色里面有黄色的成分， 但是如果染头发的话，红色比较容易褪色和返黄 还是染咖啡色吧

Thank you casie! 你的留言给了我一种很大的鼓励，真的领我放心一点，谢谢你！"Stunt Toddler“ 年纪虽这么小，可是在上课的时候还多么懂得注意听老师的话... 我这个老姑妈真希望他以后也能够维持这种学习态度。。。 最怕我没办法给他一个合理而不领他失的答案. Again, thank you. I know there were any mistakes in my Chinese. That is the real reason why I haven't dared to write any e-mails to you after promising that the next one from me would be in Chinese... 真丢脸！

Oh no, what has happened to my typing today? Sorry! 你的留言给了我一种很大的鼓励，真的领我放心一点，谢谢你！"Stunt Toddler“ 年纪虽这么小，可是上课的时候还是多么懂得注意听老师的话... 我这个老姑妈真希望他以后也能够维持这种学习态度。。。 最怕我没办法对他的问题给一个合理而不领他失望的答案. Aiyo. Now I've just double-underlined all the Chinese errors that I didn't even know that I had made! But as casie says, no pain no gain! I'll just grit my teeth and bear it...

Hi auntie68, I came here not to solve your question about the colors, but to make you more confused. There is another Chinese word for “brown”, 茶色 (cha2 se4). Interestingly enough, 茶色 seems to be the least commonly used word among the three (褐色, 棕色, 茶色) in China, but the most commonly used in Japan. According to 现代汉语词典, one of the most authentic Chinese dictionaries in China, the definitions of those colors are as follows, but they are not very helpful. 褐色...... 像栗子皮的颜色 棕色...... 像棕毛的颜色，红褐色 茶色...... 茶褐色 咖啡色... 深棕色

P/s: Casie, Stunt Toddler 多亲爱的“张老师“也就是他的班主任。 张老师刚跟我们说过，Stunt Toddler 特别听话, 上课的时候很会注意老师的话，而且对学习华文满有兴趣。This wonderful 张老师 is aware that the S.T. has no chance to learn Mandarin at home (I was the one who had to tell her, in my horrible Mandarin, because nobody else in my family can speak Mandarin), so she is extra patient with him, and she encourages him all the time. After a "long weekend" -- eg, when the Monday was a public holiday --, the Stunt Toddler will rush up to his 张老师 and hug her because he loves her so much!

Uncle changye, how could you? Aarrghhh!!!! But yes, you are right. In my dim understanding, the colour I use for "brown" in Japanese is "cha-iro". So a very "brown", brown would then be "mat-cha-iro?" I am delirious now, and it is you fault!

Hi auntie68, Reading Chinese written by other learners always gives me pleasure, because they usually contain very important grammars and expressions. Today I have learned the phrase “多么懂得～” from your comment, which I thank you. I will probably use it in my writings someday soon. And I am afraid that I found a typo in your Chinese, correct one should be 令我放心, not 领我放心. I, an evil nitpicker, am also relieved to know that even auntie68 makes a mistake!

Thanks uncle changye. Actually, this Auntie is so "chinese character"-phobic that poor casie is still waiting for her first e-mail from me in Chinese characters... writing in Chinese characters makes my knees feel soft. Looks like the Stunt Toddler will be keeping me on my toes over the next few years as he learns Chinese and pulls me along with him! A few minutes ago I picked him up from school, showed him a new Chinese book that I bought him yesterday on "colours", and watched in wonder as he paused at the "purple" section, pointed at the illustration of purple grapes, and said, "葡萄!". I am so happy and relieved that his generation, with its bilingual schools, will not have to grow up monolingual like me.

Oh , my dear auntie68, take it easy. You really did a good job, i am so happy that you used chinese! Dear auntie, 我也希望小仁义能够继续保持这种学习态度！我相信你绝对不会让小仁义失望的，你是一个非常好的姑妈！ Yes, this poor Cassie is still waiting for your email, but don't worry, if you still can not write all chinese, it is okay, you can use English! Oh, here comes the question, do you have spoken chinese phobic too? I guess may be you have.

oh, dear auntie68, i think i should use henning's words that "You hit my soft spot with this post". To be honest, I just can tell the general expression about colors and i don't know how to distinguish the detail difference sometimes.